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The Menace Of Abandoned Oil Wells | Earth Wise

August 3, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

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.

Air Pollution And Bone Health | Earth Wise

February 5, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Many of the negative effects of air pollution are well documented. Studies have shown that exposure to air pollution is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, stroke, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and so on.

Now, according to a new study in India led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), exposure to air pollution is also associated with a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. Osteoporosis, which literally means porous bone, is a disease in which the density and quality of bone is reduced. As bones become more porous and fragile, the risk of fracture is greatly increased.

The study, which surveyed 3,700 people from 28 villages in southern India, was recently published in the medical journal Jama Network Open.

The researchers used a model to estimate air pollution by fine particulate matter (commonly referred to as PM2.5) and black carbon at each participant’s residence. The research team then assessed bone health using a special type of radiography (called dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) that measures bone density. They measured bone mass of the participants’ left hip and at the lumbar spine.

The results showed that exposure to air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter, was associated with lower levels of bone mass. Annual average exposure to PM2.5 was 32.8 micrograms per cubic meter, well above the maximum levels recommended by the World Health Organization (10 micrograms per cubic meter) and the U.S. EPA (12 micrograms per cubic meter).

The researchers say their findings add to a growing body of evidence that indicates that particulate air pollution is relevant for bone health.

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Air pollution can worsen bone health

Photo, posted November 15, 2019, courtesy of Ninara via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Dangerous Smoke From Australia’s Wildfires | Earth Wise

January 13, 2020 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Wildfires raging across Australia have devastated large swathes of land and prompted one of the largest evacuations in the country’s history. The fires, which have scorched approximately 20 million acres, have also killed 27 people and affected an estimated one billion animals at the time of this recording. The fire season, though still young, already ranks as among the worst in Australia’s recorded history.

Away from the flames, millions more in Australia are breathing unhealthy air as a result of the smoke from these wildfires. Wildfires release all sorts of dangerous air pollutants, like carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide. But wildfires also release fine particulate matter (more commonly referred to as PM2.5), which can be transported long distances. Breathing in these microscopic particles can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular problems. High levels of PM2.5 are particularly harmful to older people, young children, and those with weakened immune systems.

The Australian capital city of Canberra has been covered in a thick haze of smoke from nearby wildfires. Canberra recorded its worst air quality day on January 2nd, when levels of PM2.5 spiked to more than 200 micrograms per cubic meter during the worst hour.

Smoke has also been fouling Sydney’s air off and on for months, with PM2.5 readings hitting nearly 400 micrograms per cubic meter last month during the highest hour of pollution.

The U.S. EPA has in place an annual PM2.5 standard of 12 micrograms per cubic meter and a daily (or 24 hour) standard of 35.

According to the IPCC, southern Australia is expected to see increased risk of fire as the planet continues to warm. Regrettably, this could be the new normal.

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Millions of Australians Are Choking on Smoke From Wildfires

Photo, posted December 5, 2019, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Detecting Methane

December 23, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Natural gas has become a huge industry in the United States, increasingly replacing coal in power plants, and otherwise contributing to energy independence. Unfortunately, it also contributes to climate change. Methane – the primary component of natural gas – is a powerful greenhouse gas that is estimated to be responsible for as much as a quarter of atmospheric warming.

Not all of the emissions from natural gas come from its use. In the United States, so-called fugitive emissions from the oil and gas industry total an estimated 13 million metric tons per year. These emissions basically consist of leakage of various types from the extraction, transportation, and processing of natural gas and cost the industry $2 billion in lost revenue each year. Globally, that figure is estimated to be $30 billion.

Research labs and startup companies are working on developing and deploying novel technologies to address the growing issue of methane leaks across the fossil fuel supply chain.

One company called LongPath Technologies – a spinout from the University of Colorado – uses frequency comb laser technology that can pinpoint a leak to about a 50 square-foot area from half a mile away. Other companies use different variations on laser absorption technology to be able to measure methane concentrations from a distance.

Methane is a much more powerful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but it stays in the atmosphere for much less time. As a result, reducing methane emissions can pay off much more quickly than reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

The current EPA is trying to eliminate emissions regulations on the natural gas industry, but it is in the industry’s economic interest to curb those emissions even if they were unconcerned about the environment.

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Methane Detectives: Can a Wave of New Technology Slash Natural Gas Leaks?

Photo, posted October 22, 2016, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Roofs Going Green

November 21, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Green roofs are roofs on buildings that are partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, generally planted over a waterproofing membrane. The modern version of these roofs began in Germany in the 1960s and spread to many other European countries over time. With concerns about climate change and shrinking natural resources rising, green roofs are becoming increasingly popular across North America. The Toronto-based organization Green Roofs for Healthy Cities estimates that the number in North America has increased by about 15% since 2013.

Replacing black asphalt and shingles with plants can lower the surrounding air temperature, filter dirty storm water, and reduce building energy use. The National Research Council of Canada estimates that a green roof can reduce air conditioning use in a building by as much as 75%. The roofs also help to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions according to the EPA.

As the benefits of green roofs become more widely known, cities around the world are passing green roof legislation. Copenhagen passed a law in 2010 requiring all new commercial buildings to have green roofs if their roofs are not sloped too much. Toronto was the first city in North America to pass a green roof law in 2009. Over 640 green roofs covering more than five million square feet have since been constructed in Toronto.

Apart from the environmental benefits, green roofs are providing pleasant spaces in the urban environment that may include flower beds, trees, herb gardens, gazebos and picnic tables. As for the economics, studies show that over the course of a roof’s lifetime, green roofs are actually considerably cheaper than conventional roofs taking into account energy savings.

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The Green Revolution Spreading Across Our Rooftops

Photo, posted July 15, 2014, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Air Quality In The U.S.

November 13, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Globally, poor air is a serious problem. According to the World Health Organization, exposure to air pollution is linked to the premature deaths of an estimated 7 million people every year. In fact, 91% of the people on the planet live in places where air pollution exceeds WHO guideline limits.

In the United States, air pollution has dramatically improved over the last four decades due in large part to federal regulations put in place under the Clean Air Act of 1970. Fine particulate matter (known as PM2.5) and other pollution, including ozone, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide, have all decreased during this time span.

But according to recent research, this trend has unfortunately done an about-face. New data reveals that air pollution has increased nationally since 2016. An analysis of Environmental Protection Agency data by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that, on average, fine particulate pollution increased 5.5% across the country between 2016 and 2018.

This increase in fine particulate pollution was associated with nearly 10,000 additional premature deaths in the United States during that time period.

According to researchers, there are several factors likely causing this uptick in unhealthy air, including increases in both driving and the burning of natural gas. Wildfires out west are also thought to be a major contributor.

The researchers also suggest that a decrease in enforcement of the Clean Air Act may also be playing a role. The law put in place strict air pollution standards for vehicles, factories, power plants, and other sources, and is credited with saving hundreds of thousands of lives.

It’s time for clean air to be recognized as a basic human right.

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America’s Air Quality Worsens, Ending Years of Gains, Study Says

Photo, posted April 6, 2007, courtesy of Brett Weinstein via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Renewable Natural Gas

September 30, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Small-scale biogas systems have collected methane from landfills, sewage plants, and farms for decades. Here in the US, biogas is finally catching up with modern techniques with the advent of third-party operators introducing more sophisticated technology to capture methane and pump it directly into pipelines.

Renewable methane or natural gas represents a significant mostly unexploited source of energy. Examples include the vast amounts methane generated by manure from some of the 2,300 hog farms in eastern North Carolina, biodigesters that can turn clusters of large California dairy farms into energy hubs, as well as diverting food waste from landfills and transforming it into vehicle and heating fuels.

According to a 2014 EPA study, the U.S. could support at least 13,000 biogas facilities, fed by manure, landfill gas, and biosolids from sewage treatment plants. Those facilities could produce over 650 billion cubic feet of biogas per year – enough renewable energy to power 3 million homes.

A study by the World Resources Institute estimated that the 50 million tons of organic waste sent to landfills or incinerated every year in the U.S. has the energy content of 6 billion gallons of diesel fuel, amounting to 15% of all diesel consumed by heavy-duty trucks and buses.

Utilizing all that biogas could help lower greenhouse gas emissions from some of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize – transportation, industry, and heating buildings. In addition, ramped up renewable gas could keep organic waste out of landfills and prevent manure runoff into rivers and water supplies.

Renewable natural gas could be the next big thing in green energy.

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Could Renewable Natural Gas Be the Next Big Thing in Green Energy?

Photo, posted June 19, 2013, courtesy of Alan Levine via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

High-Tide Flooding And Pollution

April 30, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Global sea levels are steadily rising. They are up 8 inches in the past century and now increasing at an average of 1.3 inches per decade. As a result, the incidence of high-tide “sunny day” flooding is on the rise, especially along the U.S. East Coast.

Norfolk Virginia experienced fewer than 2 days of high-tide flooding a year in the 1960s; it had 14 in 2017. Up and down the East Coast, flood days have increased by factors of 5 and more.

This has led to a form of pollution that hasn’t gathered much attention in the past: when these floodwaters recede, they can carry debris, toxic pollutants and excess nutrients into rivers, bays, and oceans.

In the aftermath of high-tide flooding in Norfolk, Chesapeake Bay was littered with tipped-over garbage cans, tossed-away hamburgers, oil, dirty diapers, pet waste and all manner of other things. Water that comes up on the landscape takes everything back into the river or ocean with it.

Analysis of tidal flooding along the Lafayette River in Norfolk indicated that just one morning of tidal flooding poured nearly the entire EPA annual allocation of nitrogen runoff for the river – nearly 2,000 pounds – into Chesapeake Bay. The effects of excess nitrogen in the water are well-known and responsible for the toxic algal blooms that endanger aquatic life as well as human health.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, high-tide flooding frequency along the southeastern coast of the U.S. rose 160% since 2000. With the expected continuing rises in sea level, NOAA projects that as many as 85 days of high-tide flooding will occur along the coast by the year 2050. It’s a big problem.

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As High-Tide Flooding Worsens, More Pollution Is Washing to the Sea

Photo, posted September 20, 2018, courtesy of SC National Guard via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Protection From Toxic Algae

March 28, 2019 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Toxic algal blooms have been a growing problem in recent years associated with warming waters and nutrient-rich agricultural runoff in lakes, rivers, and oceans. In 2014, an algal bloom in Lake Erie left half a million residents of Toledo, Ohio without safe drinking water for three days.

The most common toxic substance released by algal blooms in the lake is called microcystin, which is closely linked to liver cancer and other diseases. Toxicologists measure microcystin and other contaminants using the metric of parts per billion. The EPA recommends that young children not drink water containing more than 0.3 parts per billion and adults no more than 1.6 parts per billion of microcystin.

Scientists at the University of Toledo have been working on developing a biofilter that uses naturally occurring Lake Erie bacteria to remove microcystin released by algal blooms and thereby reduce or eliminate the use of chlorine and other chemicals.

They have successfully isolated a number of types of bacteria that degrade microcystin toxin at a daily rate of up to 19 parts per billion. To their knowledge, such bacteria have not been previously used to fight algal blooms in other parts of the world. Based on the recorded toxin levels in Lake Erie in recent years, the bacteria would be able to effectively remove microcystin from water supplies. None of the 13 bacterial isolates they found have any association with human disease so their use in future water-purifying biofilters should not pose a public health concern.

The researchers are now developing and testing biofilters, which are water filters containing the specialized bacteria that will degrade the toxins from lake water as it flows through the filter.

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Scientists advance new technology to protect drinking water from Lake Erie algal toxins

Photo, posted April 30, 2014, courtesy of NOAA via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Air Pollution And Diabetes

August 9, 2018 By EarthWise 3 Comments

Air pollution is deadly. Studies have found that fine particulate matter, such as airborne pieces of dust, dirt, smoke, soot, and other microscopic particles can enter our lungs and bloodstream, contributing to major health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and kidney disease.

Is It Time to Ban Neonics?

May 10, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Neonicotinoids (or ‘neonics’ for short) are a class of insecticides chemically related to nicotine. In fact, the name ‘neonicotinoid’ literally means “new nicotine-like insecticide.” And like nicotine, neonics act on certain kinds of receptors in the nerve synapse. Most corn, soy, and wheat seeds planted today are coated with neonics, which is reportedly 5,000 to 10,000 times more toxic than DDT.

Deepwater Aquaculture

March 14, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Near-shore fish farms have created many environmental problems. Raising large numbers of fish creates concentrations of fish waste and sea lice, which can adversely impact near-shore ecosystems.

Trends Influencing Our Cities

February 23, 2018 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The Environmental Protection Agency removed its information hub about climate change last year. In response, 17 cities reposted the information on their own city government sites. This is indicative of the fact that cities are increasingly taking on a leadership role in environmental, social and economic change.

Lawnmower Pollution

October 25, 2017 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Over 50 million Americans mow their lawns each week, which uses 800 million gallons of gas per year and produces tons of air pollutants. Garden equipment engines were completely unregulated with respect to emissions until the late 1990s and still emit high levels of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and nitrogen oxides. In fact, gas mowers and their relatives like leaf blowers and edgers produce 5% of the air pollution in this country.

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Dioxane And Drinking Water

October 24, 2017 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

A byproduct of plastics production, dioxane is a clear, synthetic, liquid solvent that easily mixes with water. It’s frequently used in paint strippers, dyes, and varnishes, as well as shampoos and body washes – particularly those that are sudsy. Dioxane doesn’t really biodegrade and is widely regarded as a contaminant.

Coal Plants And Fish

March 20, 2017 By EarthWise

High levels of an element found in coal ash have been detected in fish in two lakes where Duke Energy coal-fired power plants are located, according to a peer-reviewed study at Duke University. The element, selenium, occurs naturally but is concentrated in coal ash.

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