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More Bugs That Eat Plastic | Earth Wise

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The world continues to struggle with the proliferation of plastic that is polluting the environment.  The Great Pacific Garbage Patch has now grown so large that it has spread across an area four times the size of California.  But there is no silver bullet in the struggle to reduce plastic pollution.  Reducing the use of plastic is probably the most viable approach, but increased recycling, the use of bioplastics, and various other strategies must play a role.

The essence of the problem is that plastic takes from decades to hundreds of years to decompose naturally.  The world produces billions of tons of plastic waste each year and less than 10% of it is recycled.  As a result, researchers around the world seek ways to safely and economically accelerate the decomposition of plastics.

A research team at Andong National University in South Korea has discovered the larvae of a particular species of darkling beetle can decompose polystyrene, which is one of the trickiest plastics to break down.  There are thousands of species of darkling beetles found in different habitats all over the world.  The one they identified is indigenous to East Asia.

The beetle larvae can consume polystyrene and reduce both its mass and molecular weight.  Furthermore, they found that the bacteria in the gut of the larvae could oxidize and change the surface property of polystyrene.  The handful of bacterial strains they identified were not like those of earlier insects found to degrade polystyrene.  As result, the researchers are hopeful that it may be possible to break down the plastic using other insects that feed on rotten wood.  Apart from the insects themselves, using just the bacterial strains found in the darkling beetles may prove to be an effective method for decomposing polystyrene.

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A New Species of Darkling Beetle Larvae That Degrade Plastic

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Vehicle Electrification On The Rise | Earth Wise

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Nearly 70% of U.S. oil consumption is for transportation and transportation accounts for 28% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.  Therefore, technology improvements in transportation that can reduce emissions are a key element of combating climate change.  The highest impact strategy is the electrification of the transportation sector, and it is definitely accelerating.

Demand for electric vehicles is growing for multiple reasons.  These include long-term cost savings, tax incentives, declining battery costs, and greater environmental awareness.  This year, about 2.7 percent of global passenger vehicle sales will be for electric vehicles.  It is still a fairly small number, but that number is growing rapidly.  It is expected to be 10% in 2025, 28% in 2030, and more than half of all vehicle sales by 2040.  By that year, more than 30% of passenger vehicles on the road worldwide will be electric.  The numbers for electric buses, delivery vans and trucks, mopeds, scooters, and motorcycles are expected to be even higher.

The environmental impact of electrification will be significant in reducing carbon emissions and pollution in general.  Electric vehicles already reduce oil demand by a million barrels a day.  By the year 2040, they will displace nearly 18 million barrels of oil a day and reduce CO2 emissions by 2.5 billion tons per year.

Electric cars still face challenges.  They are still more expensive than gas-powered cars, but their cost-benefit analysis is changing rapidly as technology improvements and volume efficiencies drive down the cost of battery packs.  Analysts predict that electric vehicles will achieve price parity with internal combustion vehicles in as soon as two years but in any case within the next ten years.

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Electrification of transportation sector nears tipping point

Photo, posted May 7, 2020, courtesy of Mark Vletter via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Massachusetts And Energy Policy | Earth Wise

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The transition to a renewables-based energy future continues to accelerate, but there are still many forces that can slow it down.  Government policy has a major role to play.  At the moment, the federal government is trying to prop up the fossil fuel industry with financial incentives and rampant deregulation.  So more than ever, innovative policies at the state level are essential drivers for revolutionizing the energy system.

One state where policy is trying to make a big difference is Massachusetts, which has created the Clean Peak Energy Standard or CPS, finalized and approved in late March and now taking effect.   A clean peak standard is a regulatory tool to reduce the costs and environmental impact of periods when electricity demand is highest, and generation tends to be the most polluting.  The CPS requires electric retailers to procure a minimum percentage of their annual electricity sales from renewable generation or energy storage.  That minimum amount will increase each year.

The CPS is formulated to incentivize better utilization of clean energy technologies to supply power when energy demand is high.  The problem is that there are times when the sun is not shining and the wind isn’t blowing, but energy demand is at its highest.  The solution is to use energy storage technologies that can supply power when it is needed.  Furthermore, storage can be relied upon during times of extreme weather that cause power outages.

Massachusetts has already started using energy storage in its grid.  The small town of Sterling installed an energy storage system in 2016 that provides crucial backup power to the police station and emergency dispatch center, thereby keeping first responder operations running even during extended power outages.

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Massachusetts is setting the benchmark for nationwide clean energy transformation

Photo, posted March 30, 2012, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Increasing Air Pollution | Earth Wise

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According to researchers from the University of Exeter, half of the world’s population is exposed to increasing air pollution despite global efforts to improve air quality.  The study, which was completed in conjunction with the World Health Organization, suggests that air pollution represents a major and growing threat to human health. 

For the study, which was recently published in the journal Climate and Atmospheric Science, the researchers reviewed global air quality trends between 2010 and 2016.  The research team examined those findings against a backdrop of global policies to reduce air pollution.  The researchers used ground monitoring data and satellite data to develop yearly air quality profiles for individual countries and regions. 

The scientists focused on fine particulate matter, which is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.  Some of the particles, like dust, soot, or smoke, are large enough to be seen by the naked eye.  Others are so small that they can only be seen using a microscope.  Inhaling fine particulate matter can cause all sorts of health issues, including asthma, respiratory inflammation, and even promote cancer. 

For much of the world’s population, the consequences of polluted air are more deadly than war, violence, and many diseases.  According to the World Health Organization, more than four million deaths every year can be attributed to outdoor air pollution.  Some of the major sources of air pollution include coal-fired power plants, agriculture, transportation, and deforestation. 

The study found that low and middle income countries experience the highest burden of air pollution around the world, with the largest concentrations found in central and southeastern Asia.

More long term policies are needed to curb this growing threat to public health. 

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Half of the world’s population exposed to increasing air pollution

Photo, posted August 2, 2019, courtesy of Ron Reiring via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

The Dead Zone In The Gulf Of Mexico | Earth Wise

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The Gulf of Mexico has an area of low to no oxygen in the water that can kill fish and other marine life.  It is an annual event that is primarily caused by excess nutrient pollution from human activities in urban and agricultural areas throughout the Mississippi River watershed.   When these excess nutrients reach the Gulf, they stimulate the overgrowth of algae, which eventually die and decompose, depleting the oxygen in the water as the algae sink to the bottom.

These low oxygen levels near the bottom of the Gulf cannot support most marine life.  Some species – among them many fish, shrimp, and crabs – swim out of the area, but animals that can’t swim or move away are stressed or killed by the low oxygen.  The dead zone in the Gulf occurs every summer.

A recent forecast for this summer’s dead zone predicts that the area of low or no oxygen will be approximate 6,700 square miles, which is roughly the size of Connecticut and Delaware combined.  This is about 1,100 square miles smaller than last year’s dead zone and much less than the record of 8,776 square miles set in 2017.  But it is still larger than the long-term average size of 5,387 square miles.

Making comparisons to the long-term average ignores the fact that the long-term average itself is unacceptable.  The dead zone not only hurts marine life, but it also harms commercial and recreational fisheries and the communities they support.  The actions that have been taken so far to reduce pollution in the Mississippi watershed are clearly not sufficient to drastically reduce the dead zone in the Gulf.

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Large ‘dead zone’ expected for Gulf of Mexico

Photo, posted October 17, 2017, courtesy of NOAA’s National Ocean Service via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

PPE Pollution | Earth Wise

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While the COVID-19 pandemic and its shutdown of so many human activities has reduced many kinds of pollution, it has also managed to create a new source of pollution:  face masks and sanitary gloves.

Divers from a French non-profit organization called Operation Clean Sea are already finding gloves, masks, and hand sanitizer bottles beneath the waves of the Mediterranean, along with the usual litter of disposable cups and aluminum cans. In France, authorities have ordered 2 billion disposable masks. Given that, there may soon be the risk of having more masks in the Mediterranean than jellyfish.  In Hong Kong, face masks have been piling up on beaches and nature trails.  Even in Hong Kong’s isolated and uninhabited Soko Islands, dozens of masks are showing up on a small stretch of beach.

Disposable masks may feel like soft cotton, but almost all of them are made from non-biodegradable material such as polypropylene.  When such masks are discarded into storm drains, they end up in rivers and seas.  With a lifespan of hundreds of years, these masks are an ecological timebomb.  Land-based activity accounts for 80% of ocean pollution, and half of that is a direct result of single-use plastics.  Many of the CDC’s recent recommendations for reopening offices and businesses actually recommend the increased use of them, and for sensible reasons.

The best we can all do is to wear reusable masks and to try to wash our hands more often rather than putting on another pair of latex gloves.  Given that there are alternatives, we don’t need to make plastic the solution to protect us from Covid-19.

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COVID-19 Masks Are Polluting Beaches and Oceans

Photo, posted March 28, 2020, courtesy of Michael Swan via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Recovering Marine Life By 2050 | Earth Wise

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Marine life has faced challenges for a long time.   There have been centuries of overfishing in many places and pollution of various types has been especially harmful in recent decades.   But despite all of this, a new scientific review published in the journal Nature contends that marine life in the world’s oceans could be fully restored in as little as 30 years provided that aggressive conservation policies are adopted.

The research spotlights the strong resiliency of ocean animals and cites the successful recovery of a number of marine species, including humpback whales.

The study indicates that nations around the world must agree to designate 20 to 30 percent of the oceans as marine protected areas, institute sustainable fishing guidelines, and regulate pollution.  These measures would not come cheaply.  The estimated cost would be around $20 billion a year. 

However, the report also estimates that the economic return on this investment would be tenfold and would create millions of new jobs.  Rebuilding fish stocks and maintaining sustainable fishing policies could increase global profits of the seafood industry by over $50 billion a year.  Conserving coastal wetlands could save the insurance industry more than $50 billion a year as well by reducing storm damage.

A major sticking point, however, is climate change.  Climate change is increasing ocean temperatures and driving acidification.  Unless these changes are brought under control, the restoration of marine life is not going to be successful.  We have reached the point where it is within our power to choose between a future with a resilient and vibrant ocean or an irreversibly disrupted ocean.  Whether we embrace that challenge remains to be seen.

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Marine Life Could Recover By 2050 With the Right Policies, Study Finds

Photo, posted April 20, 2012, courtesy of Matthias Hiltner via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

A Victory For Clean Water | Earth Wise

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Many of the nation’s environmental laws are under siege from the current administration, but a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court has solidified the Clean Water Act’s place as one of the country’s most effective environmental laws.

The case in question was about whether a wastewater treatment plant in Maui has been violating the Clean Water Act by polluting the ocean indirectly through groundwater.  Since the 1980s, the Lahaina wastewater treatment facility has been discharging millions of gallons of treated sewage each day into groundwater that reaches the waters off of Kahekili Beach, which is a popular snorkeling spot.   Groundwater, like any water beneath the land’s surface, can flow into major waterways such as rivers, streams, and, in this case, the ocean. 

In 2012, the nonprofit Earthjustice sued Maui county on behalf of four Maui community groups. Over the years, the Hawaii district court and the 9th Circuit appeals court ruled in favor of Earthjustice.  Last year, Maui County successfully petitioned the U.S. Supreme court to hear the case, which could have endangered the Clean Water Act.

On April 23, by a 6-3 vote, the court ruled that point source discharges to navigable waters through groundwater are regulated by the Clean Water Act when the addition of pollutants through groundwater is the functional equivalent of a direct discharge into navigable waters.

With this ruling, the Court rejected the Trump administration’s polluter-friendly position in the clearest of terms.  According to the opinion, written by Justice Breyer, the Court could not see how Congress could have intended to create such a large and obvious loophole in one of the key innovations of the Clean Water Act.  This is a victory for clean water.

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The Clean Water Case of the Century

Photo, posted June 30, 2018, courtesy of Kirt Edblom via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

The Lockdown Cleans Up Indian Air | Earth Wise

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Our stories often discuss how human activities change the natural environment.  With most of us confined to our homes, the lack of human activities is having profound effects on the environment.  We are talking about some of these this week.

India suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the world.  Of the most polluted cities in the world, 21 out of 30 were in India in 2019.  According to World Health Organization standards, at least 140 million people in India breathe air containing 10 times or more greater levels than the safe limit for pollutants.  Air pollution contributes to the premature death of 2 million Indians every year.

Half of India’s air pollution comes from industry, 27% from vehicles, and 17% from crop burning.  Crop burning is prevalent because it is much cheaper than mechanical tilling after the harvest.

On March 25, the Indian government placed its 1.3 billion citizens under a strict lockdown to reduce the spread of COVID-19.   The country-wide mandate decreased activity at factories and drastically reduced car, bus, truck, and airplane traffic.

Within one week, NASA satellite sensor observed aerosol levels at a 20-year low for this time of year in northern India.  Aerosols are tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in the air that reduce visibility and can damage the human lungs and heart.  Some aerosols have natural sources, such as dust storms, volcanic eruptions, and forest fires.  But many come from human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and croplands.  Scientists expected to see changes in atmospheric conditions during the Indian lockdown, but the current changes are dramatic.  They also present a unique opportunity to separate how natural and human sources of aerosols affect the atmosphere.

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Airborne Particle Levels Plummet in Northern India

Photo, posted April 29, 2020, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Wildlife Reclaims Yosemite National Park | Earth Wise

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Our stories often discuss how human activities change the natural environment.  With most of us confined to our homes, the lack of human activities is having profound effects on the environment.  We are talking about some of these this week.

Yosemite National park is normally awash in humanity – there were over 300,000 visitors in April of 2019 and typically 4 million people visit each year.  But as of March 20, the park was closed to tourists to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.  Only a skeleton crew of employees remains in the park.

Without all the people, wildlife is coming out of hiding.  It did so in previous park closures during government shutdowns, but those closures were pretty short.  This one is expected to be the longest on record.

The bear population within the park has quadrupled and many larger animals – such as bobcats and coyotes – are congregating outside of cabins and other buildings and prowling empty roads and walkways instead of hanging back at the edges of human settlements. 

In addition, the air at Yosemite is cleaner due to the lack of exhaust and diesel, and Yosemite Valley is nearly silent, apart from natural sounds from the river and the wind.  According to some observers, the park’s current condition is probably similar to what visitors in the 19th century witnessed. 

The few park employees sheltering in place are taking advantage of the virtually unimpeded natural amenities of the park.  Many are hiking to its lakes and waterfalls, enjoying trails that are empty apart from animals.  As some of the people staying in the park have noted, one could not ask for a better place to be isolated.

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Coyotes, bobcats and bears: Wildlife is reclaiming Yosemite National Park

Photo, posted October 30, 2019, courtesy of Ania Mendrek via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Coronavirus Shutdowns And The Environment | Earth Wise

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Our stories often discuss how human activities change the natural environment.  With most of us confined to our homes, the lack of human activities is having profound effects on the environment.  We are talking about some of these this week.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global catastrophe, but it has ironically been a boon for the environment.  By taking billions of people off the streets around the globe and slashing all forms of travel, the global environment has seen dramatic changes.

Sea turtles in many countries are prospering by not having to compete with humans for precious beach space.  Animals everywhere have more freedom to roam and are taking advantage of the opportunity. The Himalayas are visible from parts of India for the first time in decades.

Satellite imagery has shown dramatic drops in nitrogen dioxide emissions in China, where pollution from vehicles is a serious public health problem.  Similar reductions in air pollution are evident in India, Italy and even in Los Angeles.  The city that is notorious for its smog suddenly has pristine air.

In Venice, water in the canals has become clear in the absence of heavy boat traffic stirring up sediments from the bottom.  Wildlife that normally is invisible such as jellyfish are being spotted.

Not all the changes to animal behavior are desirable.  Some wildlife that have become dependent on humans as a source of food are becoming aggressive and are taking to the streets of cities to look for food.  Monkeys in Thailand are mobbing towns and brawling, hunting for things to eat.  Rats in New York City are fighting over suddenly meager food supplies.

In many ways, the natural world is reacting to much of humanity sheltering in place.

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On Earth Day 2020, coronavirus shutdowns are a gift to the environment

Photo, posted April 2, 2020, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Working Forest Buffers | Earth Wise

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More than 100,000 miles of U.S. rivers and streams are polluted by nitrogen and phosphorus, mostly from agricultural runoff.  In the past, forests grew naturally alongside these waterways and helped stabilize stream banks and decrease flooding while trapping and filtering pollutants.  But most of these forests have been cut down to make way for towns, cities, livestock, and crops.

Farmers are reluctant to retire valuable farmland with non-productive buffer planting.  But in Pennsylvania, there is an innovative program that encourages farmers to plant cash crops in waterway buffer zones that can help stabilize stream banks and clean up the waterways.  These plantings are called working buffers.

Strips of streamside land are replanted with native floodplain trees and shrubs.  These are known as riparian forest buffers.  Pennsylvania has instituted a grant program under which farmers and landowners plant these buffers and turn a profit.

Many of these buffers have three zones.  A conventional forest buffer that can be just 15 feet wide is composed of native woodland and stabilizes the bank with tree roots and enhances wildlife habitat.  A second zone, some 20 feet wide, is planted with trees and shrubs that can tolerate periodic flooding.  Apart from slowing floodwater and taking up nutrients, this zone can provide profits by planting trees like black walnut, hazelnut, persimmon, and elderberry.  Only hand harvesting is allowed.  A third zone, adjacent to conventional crop, can contain blueberries, raspberries, and decorative woody florals.

How many farmers can be enticed to create these riparian buffers remains to be seen, but they do represent a way to help farmers to reduce pollution and turn a profit along the way.

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A Movement Grows to Help Farmers Reduce Pollution and Turn a Profit

Photo, posted March 19, 2010, courtesy of the USDA via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Keep Track Of Your LEGOs | Earth Wise

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Plastics in the ocean are a global problem that has attracted a great deal of attention.  Most of the concern surrounds grocery bags, bottles, six-pack rings, and similar items.  Recent research looked at another source of plastic pollution:  LEGOs.

According to environmental scientists at the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom, it can take more than a thousand years for LEGO bricks to break down in the ocean.  The iconic toys are made from a strong plastic called acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or ABS.  Pieces of LEGOs are commonly found in ocean trash hotspots and wash up on shores across the globe by the thousands.

LEGOs are one of the most popular children’s toys in history and part of what makes them so popular is their durability.  Barefooted parents stepping on one on the floor in a dark room can attest to that fact.  But the full extent of their durability came as a surprise to the researchers.

The scientists analyzed pieces of weathered LEGOs collected from beaches, confirmed their age, and compared them to unweathered LEGOs from the 70’s and 80’s.  They were able to determine the extent to which LEGOs had been worn down by ocean waves, sand, and salt over time.  And it was surprisingly little.

LEGO has acknowledged the environmental impact of its products and has launched a goal to make its bricks from more sustainable sources such as sugarcane-based polyethylene by 2030, as well as improve its efforts to recycle and reuse old LEGO plastic.

Meanwhile, we should all we careful of where our old LEGOs end up.

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LEGO Bricks Could Linger in the Ocean for 1,300 Years, Study Finds

Photo, posted August 24, 2015, courtesy of Juan Luis via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Shutting Down Pollution | Earth Wise

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With much of the country shut down as the coronavirus forces people to stay at home, there has naturally been a drastic reduction of traffic on roads and highways.   And with that decrease, there has been a dramatic reduction in pollution as well.

A satellite that detects emissions in the atmosphere linked to cars and trucks has observed huge declines in pollution in major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Chicago, and Atlanta.

Los Angeles is infamous for its rush-hour traffic but that has pretty much ceased to exist. Similar changes can be seen in the San Francisco Bay Area, where nearly 7 million residents have been ordered to shelter in place.  New York City is less dependent on car travel than in other metro areas, but the shutdown of office buildings, schools, and restaurants has nonetheless resulted in a substantial reduction of traffic on the streets of the city.

While this sudden decline in air pollution over U.S. cities has some near-term health benefits, those benefits are likely to be fairly minor in the big picture.  When the coronavirus outbreak subsides and people are allowed to leave their homes and go back to their normal lives, air pollution will most certainly rebound to previous levels.  In any event, studies have shown that long-term exposure to air pollution has a larger impact on public health than any transient events.

Having much cleaner air for a while is certainly a good thing, but this shutdown is not a sustainable way to reduce air pollution and the long-term effects of the coronavirus crisis will certainly not be positive.

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Traffic and Pollution Plummet as U.S. Cities Shut Down for Coronavirus

Photo, posted March 15, 2020, courtesy of Tom Collins via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

A Devastating Threat To Coral Reef Habitats | Earth Wise

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According to new research from scientists at the University of Hawaii Manoa, the warming and acidifying oceans could wipe out nearly all existing coral reef habitats by 2100.  In fact, the researchers predict that 70-90% of coral reefs will disappear over the next 20 years alone as a consequence of climate change and pollution. 

Some organizations are attempting to save coral habitats by transplanting live corals from labs to reefs.  The idea is that the new young corals will help revive the reefs.  But after mapping where such restoration efforts would be most successful, the research indicates that there will be little to no suitable habitat remaining for corals by 2100.  Small portions of Baja California and the Red Sea are two of the sites that could remain viable by 2100, although neither are ideal due to their proximity to rivers.  Sea surfaces temperature and acidity are two of the most important factors in determining the viability of a site for restoration.  

Warming ocean waters stress corals, which cause them to expel the symbiotic algae living inside them.  This turns the often colorful corals white – an event known as coral bleaching.  Bleached corals are not dead corals, but they are at a higher risk of dying.  These coral bleaching events are becoming more frequent as a result of the changing climate. 

The projected increases in human pollution will only play a minor role in the future elimination of coral reef habitats.  Ironically, that’s because humans have already caused such extensive damage to coral reefs that there aren’t many locations left to impact.

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Warming, acidic oceans may nearly eliminate coral reef habitats by 2100

Photo, posted September 28, 2009, courtesy of Matt Kieffer via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Tough Times For Fireflies | Earth Wise

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Fireflies or lightning bugs are soft-bellied beetles known widely for their use of bioluminescence – the biochemical emission of light – to communicate and to attract mates.  There are more than 2,000 species of these beetles globally.  They can be found in temperate and tropical climates, like marshes or wet, wooded areas, all throughout the world.   

But if you are seeing fewer fireflies each summer, you’re not alone.  Like many insects, firefly populations are under duress from threats like pesticides, pollution, and habitat loss.  But fireflies are also facing another threat unique to luminous bugs: light pollution.  Light pollution is making it harder for fireflies to reproduce because the artificial light is outshining their mating signals. 

Male fireflies light up to signal availability and female fireflies respond with patterned flashes to indicate they’re interested.  But artificial bright light from things like billboards, streetlights, buildings, and homes, is interfering with the fireflies reproduction communications. 

The study, by researchers at Tufts University and the IUCN, warned that these threats facing fireflies could lead them globally to extinction. 

The researchers also point to habitat loss as another major threat to fireflies.  Firefly populations are especially vulnerable because they need special conditions to complete their life cycle.  Mangrove forests and marshes around the world are being removed in favor of cash crops like palm oil.   

Insects like fireflies are crucial components of many ecosystems where they perform important functions, like aerating soil, pollinating plants, and controlling pests.  Firefly larvae feed on snails, slugs and mites, and many fireflies are effective pollinators. 

We can’t afford for fireflies to go dark. 

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A Global Perspective on Firefly Extinction Threats

Fireflies Have a Mating Problem: The Lights Are Always On

Photo, posted June 5, 2010, courtesy of Matt MacGillivray via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

A First In The Climate Change Fight | Earth Wise

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Under a new initiative, builders in New Jersey will have to take climate change into account in order to win government approval for projects.  New Jersey is the first state in the United States to enact such a requirement, which will leverage land-use rules to control what and where developers can build, and limit the volume of pollution. 

Through executive order, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will require the state Department of Environmental Protection to draft new building regulations.  The changes, to be adopted by January 2022, do not require legislative approval, but could face political and legal challenges. 

Climate change is expected to have a significant impact on New Jersey and its 130 miles of coastline.  According to a recent study from Rutgers University, the sea level along the New Jersey coast rose 1.5 feet since 1911, which was more than twice as much as the global average. The sea level is expected to rise by as much as another foot by 2030.  At the same time, some coastal areas of New Jersey are gradually sinking.

The initiative by New Jersey comes on the heels of a Trump administration proposal which would allow federal agencies to not take climate change into account when evaluating infrastructure projects. The federal changes are geared towards speeding up approvals for highway construction, pipelines, oil and gas leases, and other major infrastructure projects.   

In the absence of anything resembling leadership on climate change from the federal government, it remains for states like New Jersey to continue to press ahead.  In addition to the new building initiative, New Jersey also plans to produce 100% clean energy by 2050. 

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Excluding Climate Change From Infrastructure Planning | Earth Wise

With 130-Mile Coast, New Jersey Marks a First in Climate Change Fight

Photo, posted August 27, 2016, courtesy of Rashaad Jorden via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Safer Disposal Of Printed Circuit Boards | Earth Wise

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Printed circuit boards are key elements of modern electronic devices that support and connect all of their electronic components.  On average, they are composed of 30% metallic and 70% nonmetallic substances.

Once the circuit boards have served their purpose, they are often burned or buried in landfills, and can pollute the air, soil, and water.  The biggest problem is that they have brominated flame retardants added to them in order to keep them from catching fire.  Compounds in brominated flame retardants have been linked to endocrine disorders and fetal tissue damage.

Many circuit boards are recycled to recover valuable materials – generally the metals they contain.  But recycling has its own problems.  Metallic components can be recovered from crushed circuit boards by magnetic and high-voltage electrostatic separations.  When the metals are removed, what remains are resins, reinforcing materials, brominated flame retardants, and other additives, which are of little value and present various dangers.

Researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in China have developed a ball-milling method to break down these potentially harmful compounds, enabling safe disposal.  A ball mill is a rotating machine that uses small agate balls to grind up materials. The researchers also added iron powder, which helps remove bromine from organic compounds by breaking the carbon-bromine bonds in the flame retardants.  The result was particles with half of their bromine content removed as well as decomposition of phenolic resin compounds.

The ever-increasing proliferation of device technology had led to a new set of pollution and waste challenges facing society.  Research on ways to reduce the impact of high-tech garbage is an important need for society.

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Toward safer disposal of printed circuit boards

Photo, posted February 18, 2018, courtesy of Diego Torres Silvestre via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

What Is An Endangered Species? | Earth Wise

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Biodiversity is declining rapidly throughout the world and people are mostly the reason.  Species are disappearing because of changes in land and sea use, the direct exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution, and invasive alien species resulting from globalization.  The challenges of conserving the world’s species are many and difficult.  Among these challenges are determining which species are endangered and how and when to protect them.

What constitutes an endangered species is not necessarily obvious. 

Extinction risk increases as a species is driven to extinction from portions of its natural range.  Most mammal species have already been driven to extinction from half or more of their historic ranges because of human activities.

According to a recent survey of ordinary Americans, three-quarters of participants said that a species deserves special protections if it had been driven to extinction from any more than 30% of its historic range.  This compares with the language of the U.S. Endangered Species Act that defines an endangered species as one that is “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.”

Experts and decision-makers are more accepting of risks and losses because they believe greater protection would be impossibly expensive.  Decision-makers tend to be influenced by special interest groups with a vested interest in not instituting protections.

Before human activities began elevating extinction risk, a typical vertebrate species would have experienced an extinction risk of 1% over a 10,000-year period.  Current policies consider a 5% risk over 100 years to be acceptable.  Policies consider whether we can afford to protect species.  Given the dangers of declining biodiversity, we should ask whether we can afford not to.

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What Is An Endangered Species?

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Saving Costs And Reducing Emissions From Shipping | Earth Wise

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International shipping is a large and growing source of greenhouse gas emissions.  Maritime transport produces about a billion tons of CO2 annually, accounting for about 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.  The environmental impact of shipping includes air pollution, water pollution, and even acoustic pollution.  In many coastal areas, ships are responsible for more than 18% of some air pollutants.  Overall, there are more than 100,000 transport ships at sea, of which about 6,000 are large container ships.

In recent years, the shipping sector has had both internal willingness and external pressure to reduce emissions, but shipping is a tough, competitive business and it isn’t easy to stay competitive and help protect the environment.

A recent study at Abo Akademi University in Finland has found that improved ship utilization rates and investments in environmentally sustainable technologies for enhanced energy efficiency would significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions.  Of equal importance, those same measures would contribute to lowering of freight costs.

If the same cargo volume can be shipped using less fuel, shipping companies will gain major savings in terms of fuel costs.  Digitalization can provide valuable benefits.  For example, new digital planning and booking systems would enable smarter use of routes while also diminishing traffic with half-empty vessels or even ones with no cargo aboard.  Reducing such underutilization would improve the capacity utilization rate and eliminate emissions caused by so-called ballast traffic.

Global shipping continues to grow.  It is essential that it becomes smarter and more efficient to protect the environment and improve its economics.

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Environmentally friendly shipping helps to reduce freight costs

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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

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