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Edible Six-Pack Rings

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There has much talk about plastic straws and their harmful effects on the environment.  But much like the straws, plastic six-pack rings are also enemies of the ocean.  While straws and six-pack rings account for only a tiny fraction of all the plastic trash in the ocean, images of marine animals tangled up in the rings have sparked public backlash against these common items.  The soft but tough plastic rings are transparent which means that in the water animals don’t even see them.  They end up tangled in the loops, which can cut into their skin and constrict parts of their bodies, leading to serious injury or death.  Birds, turtles, and otters are among the frequent victims of six-pack rings.

Plastic straws have readily available alternatives such as paper straws and reusable straws.  But the plastic rings that have been available for more than 40 years are not as easy to replace.  By law, six-pack rings are photo-degradable, so they do gradually disintegrate when exposed to direct sunlight.  But even then, they remain quite dangerous at least for a while.

The Saltwater Brewery in Delray Beach, Florida, recently has released edible six-pack rings, representing a brand-new approach to sustainable beer packaging.  The rings are 100% biodegradable and edible.  They are actually made from barley and wheat ribbons from the brewing process.  This packaging can be safely eaten by animals that may come into contact with them in the wild.

Producing the edible rings represents a big investment for a small brewery but the company hopes to influence larger brewers and inspire them to get on board with the safer packaging.

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Saltwater Brewery Creates Edible Six-Pack Rings

Photo courtesy of Saltwater Brewery.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Coal Isn’t Even Cheap Anymore

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Coal has historically been very cheap compared with many other energy sources and the reason is that it is so plentiful.  The United States has especially abundant quantities of the stuff – perhaps a quarter of the world’s estimated recoverable reserves.  Estimates are that at the rate at which we are currently using coal here, the remaining reserves would last about 325 years. 

That would be great, of course, if the use of coal was not relentlessly destructive to the environment, hazardous to human health, and a major driver for global warming.  Despite all of that, the Trump administration is a big booster of coal.

But coal has little chance of holding on to its current status, much less having some kind of renaissance.  According to a new report from renewables analysis firm Energy Innovation, nearly 75% of coal-fired power plants in the United States generate electricity that is more expensive than local wind and solar resources.   Wind power, in particular, can at times provide electricity at half the cost of coal.

Wind and solar power are growing by leaps and bounds.  The Guardian reported that by 2025, enough wind and solar power will be generated at low enough prices in the U.S. that it could replace 86% of the entire U.S. coal fleet with lower-cost electricity.

It has been known for some time that there are places where the so-called coal crossover has already taken place.   But this is actually far more widespread than previously thought.  Substantial coal capacity is currently at risk in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Texas.  By 2025, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin will join their ranks.

The biggest threat to coal is not regulators or environmentalists; it is economics.

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Renewables Cheaper Than 75 Percent of U.S. Coal Fleet, Report Finds

Photo, posted May 1, 2011, courtesy of Alan Stark via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Examining Sea Level Rise

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It’s no secret that sea levels along the East Coast of the United States are rising.  But what’s less known is that the water isn’t rising at the same rate everywhere.  As the climate continues to change, some cities may remain dry while others struggle to keep water out. 

During the 20th century, sea levels rose about 18 inches near Cape Hatteras in North Carolina and along the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia.  During that same time period, New York City and Miami experienced a 12 inch sea level rise, while the waters near Portland, Maine only rose 6 inches.  According to a study recently published in the journal Nature, there’s an explanation for this. 

The variation is a result of a phenomenon called “post-glacial rebound.”  During the last ice age, huge sheets of ice once covered land areas in the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of the Northeast U.S.  The weight of the ice weighted down the land like a boulder on a trampoline.  At the same time, peripheral lands such as the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast rose up.  As the ice melted, the previously weighted-down regions rebounded while the peripheral lands began to sink.  While these ice sheets disappeared some 7,000 years ago, this see-sawing of post-glacial rebound continues to this day. 

Researchers combined data from GPS satellites, tide gauges, and fossils in sediment with complex geophysical models to produce this comprehensive view of sea level change since 1900.  While post-glacial rebound accounts for most of the sea level variation along the East Coast, researchers noted that when that factor is stripped away, “sea level trends increased steadily from Maine all the way down to Florida.”

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Why is sea level rising faster in some places along the US East Coast than others?

Photo, posted August 24, 2014, courtesy of Bill Dickinson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Rising Seas On The East Coast

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Global sea levels are rising by about a tenth of an inch per year, but in some places, the rise is faster… much faster.  From 2011 to 2015, sea levels rose up to 5 inches – an inch per year – in some locales along the Eastern Seaboard.  Places like Norfolk, Virginia and Miami are experiencing so-called sunny day flooding, something that had not been expected for decades according to climate projections.  So, what is going on?

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Can We Stop A Hurricane?

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This has been a particularly terrible hurricane season.   Harvey, Irma, Jose, Maria, and Nate all formed in the Atlantic and headed for North America. People in Houston, Florida, all over the Caribbean, and especially Puerto Rico are trying to recover from the effects of these powerful storms.

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Looking For “Super Coral”

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Coral reefs are essential for much of marine life and are the basis of many commercial fisheries.  In places from Florida to Australia, they are major tourist attractions.  Estimates are that the economic impact of coral reefs is more than $375 billion a year.  And apart from all of that, they are some of the most beautiful places on the planet.

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New York’s Solar Boom

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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently announced that the state’s support for solar power initiatives has resulted in an 800% increase in industry growth since 2011.   New York’s various renewable energy programs have resulted in $1.5 billion in investments.  The NY-Sun Initiative has produce a 10-fold increase in solar projects in several regions of the state.  The Mohawk Valley led the way with an almost 16-fold increase in solar capacity.

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Ghost Forests

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Coastal floodplains across the southeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States are at the leading edge of climate change’s effect on what were largely freshwater ecosystems.    Because of the low elevation and flat or gently sloping characteristics of coastal forests in these areas, they are among the most vulnerable globally to saltwater intrusion.

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Nile Crocodiles In Florida

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Nobody really knows how many alligators live in Florida.  It’s estimated that there are anywhere from 1.3 million to 2 million alligators in the Sunshine State, which means there’s one gator for every 10-15 Floridians.  It’s this ratio that makes it just about impossible for someone living in Florida not to encounter an alligator at some point.  And if you have seen one recently and thought it looked a little bigger, you may be onto something.

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