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The human impact on oceans

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Vast and powerful, the oceans have sustained human life around the world for millennia. They provide food, natural resources, and livelihoods, supporting countless communities and economies. But despite their size and resilience, the oceans are under increasing pressure from climate change and human activity, pushing them toward a dangerous threshold.

According to a new study led by researchers from UC Santa Barbara, the cumulative human impact on the oceans is forecasted to double by 2050, which is just 25 years from now.  These impacts include ocean warming, fisheries losses, sea level rise, acidification, and pollution.

The research team, which includes collaborators from Nelson Mandela University in South Africa, found that the tropics and poles will experience the fastest rate of change.  And coastal regions, where most human activity takes place, will bear the heaviest consequences of those changes. 

The research team calls the findings sobering – not only because the impacts are increasing, but because they’re increasing so quickly. 

The study, which was recently published in the journal Science, shows that ocean warming from climate change and reductions in marine biomass from overfishing are expected to be the two largest contributors to future ocean impacts.  If ecosystems cannot cope with these pressures, human societies will also feel the consequences.

But the research team stresses that it’s not too late. Stronger climate policies, better fisheries management, and protections for vulnerable habitats like salt marshes and mangroves could help slow or even reduce human impacts.

The research serves as both a warning, and a chance to act before it’s too late.

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Human impact on the ocean will double by 2050, UCSB scientists warn

Photo, posted July 11, 2018, courtesy of Ed Dunens via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Air pollution and human health

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Climate change is making air quality worse in many parts of the world. Rising temperatures increase ground-level ozone, and more frequent wildfires release harmful smoke and particulates into the air. These changes, combined with ongoing pollution from sources like vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions, lead to longer and more intense episodes of unhealthy air.

A new study led by researchers from the University of Toronto in Canada examined more than 600 people and found that long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with early signs of heart damage.  The research, which was recently published in the journal Radiology, indicates that fine particulate matter in the air may contribute to diffuse myocardial fibrosis, a form of scarring in the heart muscle that can precede heart failure. 

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. 

Long-term exposure to common air pollutants is also linked to a significantly higher risk of dementia.  A separate study by researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK analyzed data from nearly 30 million people and found that for every 10 micrograms of fine particulate matter per cubic meter of air, the risk of dementia increases by 17%.  The study, which was recently published in The Lancet Planetary Health, found that exposure to nitrogen dioxide and soot was also strongly associated with an increased risk of dementia.

Dementia is estimated to affect more than 57 million people worldwide, a number that is expected to swell to 152 million by 2050.

Strengthening efforts to reduce air pollution could make a real difference for the environment and human health.

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Even low levels of air pollution may quietly scar your heart, MRI study finds

Is the air you breathe silently fueling dementia? A 29-million-person study says yes

Photo, posted February 25, 2017, courtesy of CCO Bay via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Facemask pollution

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During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the global usage of disposable facemasks reached a staggering 129 billion per month. Most of these masks are manufactured from petroleum-based non-renewable plastics like polypropylene and the disposal of these masks results in serious pollution problems.  These include the loss of ecological integrity from buried waste in landfills, air pollution from increased waste incineration, and microplastic pollution. 

Recent research by engineers at Washington University in St. Louis investigated the multipronged pollution problem brought about by discarded facemasks.  The study in particular looked at the chemical changes that occur when facemasks are exposed to sunlight, water, and trace metal ions.

Masks littering the environment degrade into nanoplastics and produce reactive oxygen species.  These chemical agents interact with trace metal ions in the environment within hours.  The result is oxides of metals like manganese and iron, which can drive various biogeochemical reactions.

Abandoning and forgetting about plastics like facemasks is an unsustainable practice.  Plastics not only cause physical damage, but also introduce unpredictable and potentially dangerous chemical changes into environmental systems.

Plastic waste is a global problem that has continued to grow and become an increasingly serious threat over decades.  Understanding the nature of the effects of billions of facemasks in the environment is essential to efforts to address the challenges created by them.

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Sun exposure changes chemical fate of littered face masks

Photo, posted August 21, 2021, courtesy of Ivan Radic via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

How much nanoplastic is in the oceans?

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It is unfortunately well-known that microplastics are pretty much everywhere on Earth.  They are also increasingly found in living things like birds and dolphins as well as in human brains and placentas.  The oceans are polluted with plastic, and for the first time, there is now an estimate for the volume of nanoplastics – which are even smaller than microplastics and invisible to the human eye – found in the North Atlantic.

According to a study published in the journal Nature by the microplastics and nanoplastics research group at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research in Germany, there are at least 30 million tons of nanoplastics in the North Atlantic, which is more than the weight of all wild land mammals on Earth.

The same researchers have analyzed plastic in lakes, urban air, and even the air in very remote places, but the new study reveals a missing part of the plastics story.

Nanoplastics are microscopic fragments smaller than one micron, about the size of small bacteria.  There has been ongoing concern about nanoplastics in ocean water, but there wasn’t the technology available to really investigate it.  While nanoplastics were expected to be found in the ocean, the sheer amount of it was surprising.

The average concentration of nanoplastics near coastlines is about 25 milligrams per cubic meter of water, about the weight of a single large bird feather.   Nanoplastics are tiny enough that they can easily infiltrate the bodies of living creatures.  For fish and other ocean animals, that means constant exposure that builds up over time.

It is highly unlikely that plastic pollution is going to stop any time soon, but there is a United Nations meeting on the subject in August in Geneva.

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Tons of Invisible Plastic Pieces Lurk in Ocean Water

Photo, posted June 24, 2020, courtesy of G.P. Schmal / NOAA via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Biochar and poultry farm pollution

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Poultry farms are a significant source of air and water pollution.  In the US, they are the largest source of ammonia emissions, followed by dairy and non-dairy cattle farms. Poultry farms emit over two million tons of ammonia per year. Ammonia is not directly produced or excreted by the birds but is a common by-product of poultry wastes.

Poultry manure is a rich source of phosphate and large amounts of it are used in agricultural land as an organic fertilizer.  This poses an environmental risk when phosphates are washed into rivers and streams by rainwater. Phosphates lead to the proliferation of algae, harming other aquatic life and resulting in toxic conditions.

Researchers at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology are investigating the use of biochar as a means of reducing air and water pollution from poultry farms in the UK.  Biochar is produced by heating biomass – typically wood – to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen.  The resultant material is effective at absorbing nutrients and other substances.

In laboratory experiments, adding biochar to birds’ bedding has been shown to reduce ammonia emissions from droppings by 58%.  The biochar binds ammonium to its surface, preventing release into the atmosphere as ammonia gas.

Modified biochars are also proven to be highly efficient at adsorbing phosphorous.  Adding a cost-effective biochar to poultry manure fertilizer could support the safe use of an important and otherwise renewable fertilizer.  The biochar binds phosphates in the manure to its surface, preventing leaching and run-off into waterways.

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Biochar could help restore River Wye

Photo, posted May 15, 2023, courtesy of Ark. Agricultural Experiment Station via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Indoor air and outdoor pollution

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The majority of us spend about 80% of our time indoors.   The quality of the air that we breathe depends on the age and type of building we occupy along with any sources of indoor pollution that may exist and, ultimately, the quality of the air outdoors.  The HVAC used to heat, ventilate, and cool the building plays an important role.

The College of Engineering at the University of Utah used its Salt Lake City campus as a living laboratory to explore how outdoor air pollution affects indoor air quality.  Specifically, the nature of outdoor pollution sources strongly affected how effectively HVAC systems prevented external sources from getting into buildings.

Of particular concern is fine particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns.  These PM 2.5 particles can penetrate deeply into lungs, potentially causing health problems like respiratory irritation and heart disease.

There are multiple sources of PM 2.5.  The Utah study found that wildfire smoke had four to five times more PM 2.5 infiltration into buildings than pollution from inversions and wind-driven dust events.

An additional finding was that commercial HVAC systems that use air-side economizers are much less effective at keeping out particulate matter.  These systems use special duct and damper systems that reduce energy use by drawing air from outdoors when temperature and humidity levels are optimum.

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Does outdoor air pollution affect indoor air quality?

Photo, posted June 15, 2024, courtesy of Peter Burka via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Sun powered carbon capture

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As the world struggles to implement technologies and find the political will to reduce carbon emissions, there are also ongoing efforts to find ways to capture carbon from emitting sources and from the atmosphere itself.  After capturing carbon dioxide, there is then the need to safely store it or make use of it.

Current methods for capturing and then releasing carbon dioxide are expensive and energy intensive.  In fact, some methods even require the use of fossil fuels.  Recently, researchers at Cornell University have developed a method for capturing carbon dioxide that is powered by sunlight.

The Cornell method mimics the mechanisms that plants use to store carbon which involves using sunlight to make a reactive enol molecule that grabs carbon dioxide.  

Existing chemical-based carbon capture techniques make use of amines, which are organic ammonia-derived compounds that react selectively with carbon dioxide.  But amines are not stable in the presence of oxygen and don’t last, which necessitates the energy-intensive production of more and more amines.

The Cornell method uses the same method that the plant enzyme RuBisCo uses in photosynthesis.  It is based on an inexpensive sorbent material that is capable of a high rate of carbon capture.

The researchers tested the system using flue samples from Cornell’s Combined Heat and Power Building, an on-campus power plant that burns natural gas.  The system was successful in isolating carbon dioxide.

Ultimately, they would like to stage the reaction on what looks like a solar panel, but one that would capture carbon instead of generating electricity.

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In a first, system uses sunlight to power carbon capture

Photo, posted August 8, 2015, courtesy of Holly Victoria Norval via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Coexisting birds and solar energy

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Floating photovoltaic systems – known as floatovoltaics – are becoming increasingly popular.  These are arrays of solar panels installed over artificial water bodies such as irrigation ponds, wastewater treatment plants, and reservoirs.  These projects maximize the space for producing clean energy while not taking up natural lands.

Wherever there are bodies of water, there are waterbirds.  A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Davis looked at the potential impact of floating solar projects on birds and other wildlife. 

Birds face many threats from habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and disease.  Many bird populations are in decline.  So, it is important to consider the effects of floating solar projects on birds. 

The researchers have observed birds resting on floating solar structures before dawn, birds jockeying for favorable sites on the structures, and some nesting under the panels.  These are positive interactions.  On the other hand, it is possible that pollutants could be released or leached from floating solar infrastructure.  Such risks must be mitigated.

Floating solar on irrigation ponds and reservoirs can reduce evaporation and reduce algae growth, which benefits both humans and wildlife.

The researchers will continue to monitor bird behavior at floating solar installations using expertise in ecology and energy system science to identify risks and solution pathways so that negative impacts are avoided, and potential ecological benefits are realized.  It is important that as floating solar continues to become more popular, it and waterbirds can coexist.

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Helping Birds and Floating Solar Energy Coexist

Photo, posted February 28, 2019, courtesy of Renee Grayson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Americans breathe unhealthy air

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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.

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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

Bees and urban wildflowers

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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.

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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

Tracking atmospheric mercury

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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.

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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

A new way to recycle plastic

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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.

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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

Plastic from food waste

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Plastic waste management is a complicated business.  Most methods of recycling or breaking down plastic are costly and harmful to the environment.  The most common biodegradable alternatives – like paper straws – are less than ideal replacements.

There are many approaches to creating biodegradable plastics using feedstocks like seaweed, sugarcane, and other plant matter.  However, the resulting plastics often fall short compared with conventional petroleum-based plastics.

One type of bioplastic that is gaining popularity is polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHA.  PHA is a plastic produced by microorganisms.  It is fully compostable or biodegradable but in other ways but looks, feels, and functions like regular plastic but without the environmental drawbacks.

PHA can be made using bacterial fermentation of a variety of feedstocks such as vegetable oils, sugars, starches, and even methane and wastewater.

Researchers at a startup from the University of Waterloo in Canada called MetaCycler BioInnovations have developed a process for producing PHA based on bacteria that has been engineered to convert waste from milk and cheese production.  This solution upcycles waste from the dairy industry into cost-effective, sustainable bio-based plastics. 

PHAs can be tailored to have a wide range of properties ranging from being rigid and tough to being quite flexible.  Therefore, they can be suitable for many applications including packaging, agricultural films, and consumer goods. 

The Waterloo technology is a way to tackle the problems of both food waste and plastic pollution with one solution.

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Turning food waste into a new bioplastic

Photo, posted December 10, 2017, courtesy of Leonard J Matthews via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Sea turtles and climate change

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Life is a struggle for survival from the moment a sea turtle hatches.  In fact, only one sea turtle out of every 1,000 typically reaches adulthood as a result of natural predators and other challenges.  Those fortunate enough to make it to adulthood face serious threats from humans. For example, sea turtles are hunted for their meat, eggs, and shells in some regions. Their beach habitats get developed. Harmful marine debris and oil spills pollute their waters and beaches.

Now, climate change is exposing sea turtles to even greater threats.  Rising sea levels and stronger storms threaten to erode and destroy their nesting beaches. Warming oceans disrupt currents, potentially exposing sea turtles to new predators, and damaging the coral reefs that some depend on to survive.

As these environmental challenges intensify, sea turtles are beginning to adapt in surprising ways.  According to a new study by researchers from the University of Exeter in England and the Society for the Protection of Turtles in Cyprus, sea turtles are responding to climate change by nesting earlier.  Researchers monitoring nesting green and loggerhead turtles in Cyprus have discovered they are returning to their regular nesting spots earlier each year to compensate for rising temperatures.

Temperature plays a crucial role in determining the biological sex of sea turtles.  Warmer nest temperatures produce more female hatchlings than males.

But at least for now, sea turtles seem to be doing enough to ensure their eggs continue to hatch by nesting earlier in more ideal temperatures.  While this is good news, there’s no guarantee that it will continue. 

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Turtles change nesting patterns in response to climate change

Photo, posted December 20, 2021, courtesy of Cape Hatteras National Seashore via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Microplastics and birds

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Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, less than 5 millimeters in size, that come from the breakdown of larger plastics, synthetic fibers, microbeads, and tire wear.  Microplastics are found in oceans, rivers, soil, and even the air we breathe. These particles can take hundreds of years to degrade, spreading across ecosystems and accumulating in unexpected places, such as deep-sea sediments and Arctic sea ice.

According to a new study by researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington, microscopic plastic pollutants drifting through the air are lodging in the lungs of birds.  These findings raise  significant concerns about the impact on their respiratory health, but also raise alarms about potential risks to human health.

Birds were chosen for the study because they are found in almost every corner of the world and often share environments with humans. 

In the study, the research team examined 56 different wild birds from 51 distinct species, all sampled from the Tianfu airport in western China.  The researchers found high concentrations of microplastics in bird lungs, with an average of 221 particles per species.  The most common types identified were chlorinated polyethylene, which is used for insulating pipes and wires, and butadiene rubber, which is a synthetic material in tires.

Although there is no established “safe” level of plastic particles in lung tissue, high levels of microplastics have been linked to serious health risks, including heart disease, cancer, respiratory issues, and fertility problems.

The study highlights an urgent need to tackle plastic pollution in the environment because of its far-reaching impact on ecosystems and human health.  

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Birds breathe in dangerous plastics—and so do we

Photo, posted January 28, 2017, courtesy of Pete Richman via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

A record warm January

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Americans experienced unusually cold and wintery weather in January.  Places like southern Louisiana and Florida saw appreciable amounts of snow.  For those who experienced January’s Arctic blast, it was a cold January.  But despite that, January was the world’s warmest on record, extending a run of extraordinary heat in which 18 out of the last 19 months saw an average global temperature more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times.  In fact, the global average temperature in January was 1.75 degrees above the pre-industrial average.

The exceptional warmth was surprising to climate researchers.  It happened despite the emergence of La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean, which tend to lower global temperatures, at least for a while.

Researchers are investigating whether there is something beyond the effects of greenhouse gas emissions that is boosting temperatures to an unexpected degree.  It is true that emissions, associated with the burning of coal, gas, and oil, reached record levels in both 2023 and 2024.  But January’s warmth was still something of a surprise.

One prevalent theory is that cutting dangerous pollution is playing a role in causing global warming to accelerate.  As regulators have curbed sulfate pollution to protect people’s lungs, the cooling effect of these particles that help form more and brighter clouds has diminished.

January demonstrates that the global climate system is complex and the weather in any particular region does not necessarily reflect what is happening to the planet as a whole.

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Global Temperatures Shattered Records in January

Photo, posted December 22, 2013, courtesy of SD Anderson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Native plants and road salt pollution

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Applying salt to roadways lowers the freezing point of water and prevents slippery surfaces, which makes it safer for people to drive in wintry conditions.  In the U.S., more than 22 million tons of road salt is spread every year. 

But road salt harms infrastructure and the environment.   In fact, road salt damages cars and metal infrastructure by accelerating rust and corrosion.  Road salt can also leach into soil and waterways, disrupting ecosystems, degrading soil, contaminating water, and damaging vegetation. 

In cities and towns, road salts often wash into stormwater systems, posing health concerns and challenges for infrastructure.

A new study led by researchers from Virginia Tech looked at how salt affects plants and whether certain plants could mitigate salt pollution. The research team studied stormwater detention basins in Northern Virginia, examining the impacts of road salt on plants, soils, and water quality in green infrastructure systems.

The findings, which were recently published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, found that the amount of salt present in green infrastructure systems does reach levels that threaten plant communities.  However, the researchers found that relying on salt-tolerant plants for mitigation is unlikely to be effective because they simply don’t take in enough salt.

Certain plants, particularly cattails, absorbed substantial amounts of salt.  But even in a basin densely planted with salt-tolerant cattails, only up to 6% of the road salt applied during winter could be removed. 

Plants alone cannot solve our salt pollution problem.

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Researcher studies the power of native plants to combat road salt pollution

Photo, posted January 22, 2025, courtesy of the City of Greenville, North Carolina via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Investing in carbon capture

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The interests of billionaires seldom seem to coincide with our own.  In fact, they often seem to be quite the opposite.  But there are a number of billionaires who are trying to help the world combat climate change.  Yes, they want to make money doing it, but doing it is nevertheless in everyone’s interest.

A group headed by Bill Gates that included some of the wealthiest people from around the world met last summer in London to evaluate companies working to mitigate the effects of climate change.  These included companies developing carbon dioxide removal technologies.  Stripping carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere is an obvious way to deal with the fact that we continue to dump too much of it into the atmosphere –   obvious, but extremely difficult to do at any scale that makes a difference.

Companies working on carbon capture have raised more than $5 billion since 2018.  There are hundreds of companies working on it and investors include billionaires, venture capitalists, private equity firms, and major corporations.  Companies like Microsoft, Google, and United Airlines have committed billions of dollars to purchase removal credits:  payments to companies for removing carbon dioxide.

There are only a few dozen carbon removal facilities operational today and together they only capture a tiny fraction of the carbon dioxide humans release into the atmosphere.  The hope is that such facilities will scale up in size and number so that they will make a real dent in the problem.  But it will take many years at best, and the planet doesn’t have that much time.  To make a difference, carbon emissions must be reduced as quickly as possible.

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The New Climate Gold Rush: Scrubbing Carbon From the Sky

Photo, posted April 19, 2020, courtesy of Greg Rubenstein via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Artificial intelligence and lost oil wells

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There have been commercial oil and gas wells across the United States for 170 years.  Researchers estimate that there are between two and three million wells that have been abandoned.  There are hundreds of thousands of them, across 27 states, that are “orphaned,” meaning that they are uncapped, unproductive, and nobody is responsible to manage their leakage or pollution.

Many are undocumented orphaned wells – UOWs – that are not listed in formal records and are basically out of sight and out of mind.  Besides having nobody responsible for them, nobody even knows where they are.  But they are potential sources of oil and chemical leaks into nearby water sources and can send toxic substances like benzene and hydrogen sulfide into the air. 

Researchers are using modern tools like drones, laser imaging, and advanced sensors to try to locate UOWs.  But these wells are scattered over an area of more than three million square miles.

To better predict where to look for undocumented wells, researchers are combining historical topographic maps with artificial intelligence. The US Geological Survey has scanned 190,000 topographic maps made between 1884 and 2006.  AI is being used to find the symbols for oil and gas wells on the maps.  People can recognize these symbols easily, but there are just too many maps to look at.  The problem is equivalent to finding a needle in a haystack; there is just an awful lot of hay to look through.

Abandoned wells are a big problem and it will take lots of modern technology to try to solve it.

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AI Helps Researchers Dig Through Old Maps to Find Lost Oil and Gas Wells

Photo, posted August 16, 2022, courtesy of Larry Syverson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

A solar peaker plant

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Peaker plants are power plants that the grid makes use of during times of particularly high electricity demand.  The power they supply is typically high in cost and usually high in greenhouse gas emissions.  When operating the electricity grid, power sources are generally called upon in order of marginal cost.  Only when demand is very high do grid operators make use of the highest-cost assets that tend to be fossil-fueled power plants that can start and ramp up quickly. 

For years, there has been the idea that solar-powered peaker plants could eventually replace the polluting fossil-fueled ones.  Recently, the renewable energy developer, owner, and operator Arevon Energy began commercial operations of the Vikings Solar-plus-Storage Project in Imperial County, California.  It is the first utility-scale solar peaker plant in the United States.

The plant utilizes a 157-megawatt solar array combined with 150 MW and 600 MWh of battery energy storage.  It can shift low-cost daytime solar energy to higher-cost peak demand periods.  The result is a lowered cost of electricity for nearly one million customers of San Diego Community Power.

The project contradicts the often-held notion that renewable energy is inherently unreliable.  It can provide carbon-free electricity at specific times of critical need.  Typical hybrid solar + storage plants provide electricity during daylight hours and store only excess generation in their battery systems.  The Vikings project is specifically designed to shift the entirety of its generation from solar hours to the peak demand period.

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Arevon fires up the first solar + storage peaker plant in the U.S.

Photo, posted October 15, 2024, courtesy of Jay Inslee via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

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