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Metals In Western Water Supplies | Earth Wise

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A new study published by the University of Colorado Boulder looked at the problem of rivers being contaminated by acid rock drainage.  Rocks that include sulfide-based minerals, such as pyrite, oxidize when exposed to air and water.  The resulting chemical reaction produces sulfuric acid which, when present in water, dissolves metals like lead, cadmium, and zinc.  The recent study found that rare earth elements are also leached out of rock by this process.

Rock drainage occurs naturally throughout the western United States, but historic mines that disturbed large amounts of rocks and soil have dramatically increased this process and have led to growing downstream water pollution.  Upwards of forty percent of the headwaters of major rivers in the West are contaminated by some form of acid mine or rock drainage.

The warming climate has brought longer summers and less snow in winters.  Longer, lower stream flows make it easier for metals to leach into watersheds and concentrate the metals that would otherwise be diluted by snowmelt.

Rare earth elements are essential components of many high-tech devices such as computers, hard drives, and cell phones.  There is not a long history of studying the hazards they might represent when they enter the environment.

The study looked at the Snake River watershed in Colorado and found that increasing amounts of rare earth elements are entering Colorado water supplies.  Concentrations of rare earth elements are not ordinarily monitored and there are no water quality standards set for them.

According to the researchers, once rare earth elements get into water, they tend to stay there.  Traditional treatment processes don’t remove them.  It is a growing problem that needs to be addressed.

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Rare earth elements and old mines spell trouble for Western water supplies

Photo, posted October 27, 2007, courtesy of Dion Gillard via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Coral Reefs And Ecosystem Services

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A new study led by the University of British Columbia provides the first comprehensive look at what climate change, overfishing, and habitat destruction of coral reefs mean for their ecosystem services.  For humans, this means how the global decline in coral reefs has affected their ability to provide essential benefits including food, livelihoods, and protection from storms.

The study found that global coverage of living corals has declined by about half since the 1950s and the diversity of reef species has declined by more than 60%.  So, it is no surprise that there has been a significant loss in the ability of reefs to provide ecosystem services.

The study analyzed data from coral reef surveys around the world, fisheries catches, indigenous consumption, and more.  Apart from the declines in reef coverage and biodiversity, the study found that fish catches on coral reefs peaked in 2002 and has steadily declined since then, despite increased fishing efforts.

The findings of the study led the researchers to conclude that continued degradation of coral reefs in the years to come threaten the well-being and sustainable development of millions of people in communities on the coast that depend on coral reefs.  Fish and fisheries provide essential nutrients in places with few alternative sources of nutrition.  Coral reef biodiversity and fisheries have added importance for indigenous communities, where important cultural relationships exist with reefs.

The study’s authors say that the results are a call to action.  The level of destruction happening all over the world’s coral reefs is threatening people’s culture, their daily food, and their history.  It is not just an environmental issue; it is a human rights issue.

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Photo, posted September 22, 2010, courtesy of David Burdick / NOAA Photo Library via Flickr.

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Regulating Plastic Pollution | Earth Wise

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Much of the world is united in the desire to do something about the problem of plastic waste.  But putting in place regulations that transcend national borders is complicated.

One hundred fifteen countries have established bans on plastic bags, but globally, there are seven different definitions of what is considered a plastic bag.  Things like bag thickness can determine whether something even counts as a plastic bag.  These differences create loopholes that enable illegal bags to be used.  For a global company like Nestle, which sells food products in 187 countries, it means complying with 187 different sets of national regulations on plastic packaging.

At least 100 nations have expressed support for a global plastic treaty.  Preliminary talks are dealing with issues like setting a specific date to eliminate plastic from spilling into the ocean, creating a harmonized set of definitions and standards, coordination of national targets and plans, and creating a fund to build waste management facilities where they are most needed in less developed countries.

New plastic waste is created at a rate of over 300 million tons a year.   To date, 75% of all plastic ever produced has become waste, and plastic production is expected to triple by 2050.

With public concern about plastic waste growing and increasing support by countries around the world, there is growing optimism that a global treaty to address plastic waste could be approved on a pace that could make a difference.  Negotiations for international treaties can drag on for a decade or more.  There is not that kind of time to spare in this case, so perhaps urgency will drive more efficient action.

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Global treaty to regulate plastic pollution gains momentum

Photo, posted February 3, 2015, courtesy of Thad Zajdowicz via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Private Jets and CO2 Emissions | Earth Wise

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During the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic, private jet use saw record levels because chartered aircraft were estimated to have 30 times lower risk for covid than flying commercial.  By August 2020, while commercial flights were down 60% year-over-year, private jet traffic was actually up.  From an environmental perspective, however, flying on a private jet is about the worst thing one can do for the environment.

Private jets are 10 times more carbon intensive than airlines on average and 50 times more polluting than trains.  A four-hour private flight emits as much as the average person does in a year.

In Europe, 7 out of the 10 most polluting routes taken by private aircraft lie in the UK-France-Switzerland-Italy axis, with jets departing the UK and France being the biggest source of pollution.  One in 10 flights departing France are private jets, half of which travelled less than 300 miles.

A study by the research group Transport & Environment points out that wealthy private jet owners are ideally suited to aid in the decarbonization of the aviation sector.  Private jet short hops are prime targets for replacement by clean technologies like electric and hydrogen aircraft.  European policy makers could ban the use of fossil-fuel private jets for flights under 600 miles by 2030.  Until such a ban, jet fuel and flight taxes could be imposed on private jets to account for their disproportionate climate impact and support technology development.  And companies and individuals could commit to substantial reductions in private jet use when alternatives exist that do not unreasonably increase travel time.

The super-rich could be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

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Private Jet Use Rising, Sending CO2 Emissions Soaring

Photo, posted September 9, 2020, courtesy of Mackenzie Cole via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Infinitely Recyclable Plastic | Earth Wise

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The glut of plastics is one of the world’s most challenging environmental problems.  The average American generates over 200 pounds of plastic waste each year and most of that ends up in landfills.  Researchers around the globe continue to work on potential solutions to the plastic waste problem.

Two years ago, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory announced the invention of a new plastic that could be an answer to the plastic waste problem.  The material is called polydiketoenamine or PDK and it differs from traditional plastics in a very important way:  it can be recycled indefinitely with no loss in quality because it can easily be broken down into its constituent component monomers and be used to make brand new plastic.

Only a small percentage of plastics are currently recycled.  When many plastics are melted down together, the polymers are mixed with a slew of incompatible additives, resulting in a new material with much lower quality than newly produced plastic.  As a result, less than 10% of plastic is recycled more than once.

Recently, the Berkeley Lab researchers released a study that shows what could be accomplished if manufacturers began using PDKs on a large scale.  They determined that PDK-based plastic could quickly become commercially competitive with conventional plastics and, furthermore, would get less expensive and more sustainable as time goes on.

PDK is starting to draw interest from companies needing to source plastic.  The best initial application for PDKs are markets where manufacturers have the most access to products at the end of their lifespans such as in the automobile industry and consumer electronics.  Making plastics part of a circular economy is a challenging task.

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The Future Looks Bright for Infinitely Recyclable Plastic

Photo, posted April 19, 2021, courtesy of Ivan Radic via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Rising Seas And Wastewater Leakage | Earth Wise

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Global mean sea level has risen nearly 9 inches since 1880, with over two inches of that over just the last 25 years.  The rising water level is primarily due to two factors:  additional water in the oceans coming from melting glaciers and ice sheets; and the thermal expansion of seawater as it warms.  Climate models estimate that over the course of the century, global sea levels will rise at least a foot even if efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are quite successful and, in the worst case, levels could rise as much as 8 feet.

Faced with this situation, the greatest concerns are, initially, increasing amounts of coastal flooding and erosion and, as things get worse, inundation of coastal regions making many places uninhabitable and creating millions of climate refugees.

Recently, computer modeling studies have focused on an additional imminent problem:  the flooding of coastal wastewater infrastructure, which includes sewer lines and cesspools.

A new study by the University of Hawaii at Manoa is the first to provide direct evidence that tidally driven groundwater inundation of wastewater infrastructure is already occurring in urban Honolulu.  The study shows that higher ocean water levels are leading to wastewater entering storm drains and the coastal ocean.  The result is degradation of coastal water quality and ecological health.

The researchers used chemical tracers to detect groundwater discharge and wastewater present at multiple low-lying areas during spring tides.  During high tides, storm drains become channels for untreated wastewater to flood streets and sidewalks. 

People tend to think of sea-level rise as a future problem, but there are already serious effects going on today that are only going to get worse.

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Sea-level rise drives wastewater leakage to coastal waters

Photo, posted August 23, 2011, courtesy of Eric Tessmer via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Lead Exposure Remains A Persistent Problem | Earth Wise

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According to a new report from UNICEF and the international nonprofit Pure Earth, a staggering number of children – approximately 800 million or one out of every three globally – may have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood.    

Long-term exposure to lead can cause serious health problems, especially in children.  Children are particularly vulnerable because their early years are characterized by rapid growth and brain development. 

Lead is a powerful neurotoxin that can cause damage even at low levels of exposure.  Lead poisoning can be acute, and can cause all sorts of health issues, including stomach pain, brain damage, and even death.  Because lead accumulates in the body over time, lead poisoning can develop slowly. The most common symptom of lead poisoning is lethargy.  Lead exposure can also contribute to a lower IQ and behavioral problems that can last a lifetime.     

Lead is a naturally occurring element found in small amounts in earth’s crust.  But as a result of human activities, lead can be found in all parts of the environment, including the air, soil, and water. 

According to the report, much of the lead poisoning comes from lead-acid batteries that are not properly recycled.  Water pipes, paint, canned foods, makeup, toys, and even contaminated spices can all be sources of lead exposure.  Lead was also previously added to gasoline and traces of this remain in soil samples today. 

The report found that children in low- or middle-income countries, especially in South Asia and among marginalized groups in general, are most vulnerable to lead poisoning. 

Lead exposure remains a dangerous and persistent problem all around the world. 

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The Toxic Truth: Children’s Exposure to Lead Pollution Undermines a Generation of Future Potential

800 million children still exposed to lead

Photo, posted February 11, 2017, courtesy of J. Brew via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

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.

I farmaci a base di erbe e omeopatici rappresentano una percentuale significativa (circa una confezione su otto) dell’assortimento da banco delle farmacie. Nel 2017, i farmaci a base di erbe hanno registrato vendite per 1,48 milioni di euro e 120 milioni di confezioni, mentre maschioforte.com i farmaci omeopatici hanno registrato vendite per 630 milioni di euro e 52 milioni di confezioni, secondo l’Associazione federale dell’industria farmaceutica (Bundesverband der Pharmazeutischen Industrie – BPI).

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Giant Jellyfish | Earth Wise

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There have been recent news stories about giant jellyfish washing ashore from Maine to the south coast of Massachusetts.  These stories have claimed that some of these lion’s mane jellyfish have been the largest on record and even might be the largest animals in the ocean.

The truth of these accounts is rather suspect.  For one thing, it is rather difficult to measure the size of a jellyfish when it is out of the water.  Gravity compresses and spreads out the bell portion of the animal, and that makes up the bulk of its mass.  For example, a jellyfish bell that measures four feet across on the beach would appear to be much smaller if the animal was floating in the water.

Some claims that lion’s mane jellyfish are larger than blue whales date back a full century and are very much disputable.  The claimed size certainly included the animal’s long tentacles, and such things hardly compare with a blue whale.

In any event, the current spate of jellyfish sightings is not necessarily that unusual.  Many factors influence jellyfish populations, including water temperature and food supply.  It is possible that warming water temperatures may be influencing the jellyfish population this year, but there is not enough data to know for sure.

People do need to be cautious around lion’s mane jellyfish.  They do sting and while their stings are not as bad as those of a number of other species, they can be a problem for people who have allergic reactions.  Furthermore, the stinging cells remain active in a jellyfish that has washed ashore.

Sightings of these animals are continuing, and reports of larger specimens continue as well, even if they don’t compare with blue whales.

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Jellyfish larger than blue whales?

Photo, posted September 13, 2015, courtesy Derek Keats via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

A New Problem For New York Apples | Earth Wise

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New York is the second largest apple-producing state in the country, trailing only Washington state.  New York averages nearly 30 million bushels of apples annually from approximately 600 commercial growers.  The apple industry supports 10,000 direct agricultural jobs as well as 7,500 indirect jobs involved with fruit handling, distribution, marketing and exporting.

Thus, there is considerable concern about the recent discovery by Cornell plant pathologists of a new fungal pathogen that causes bitter rot disease in apples.  They also found a second related fungus that is known to cause rot disease in other fruits but has now been found for the first time in apples.  The study was published in early July in the journal Scientific Reports.

Both of these pathogens belong to the genus Colletotichrum, which contains 189 species of fungi that cause devastating rot diseases in multiple fruit crops, including bananas, strawberries, citrus, avocados, papayas, mangoes and apples.

Unless protective measures are taken in a timely manner, apple losses from bitter rot in New York state can average up to 25% per year.  Some organic farms have lost essentially all of their crop at times.  Bitter rot also can destroy up to 5% of marketable fruit in post-harvest storage.

The Cornell study of samples from eight New York counties found both the Colletotrichum chrysophilum fungus, that had not been found in apples before, and a newly-discovered fungus that they named Colletotrichum noveboracense, after the Latin name for New York State.

The researchers plan to work with other plant pathologists and apple breeders to identify possible genes that confer natural resistance to Colletotrichum fungi that can be bred into apple cultivars.

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Scientists identify new pathogen in NY apples

Photo, posted October 12, 2018, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Plant-Based Bottles | Earth Wise

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Single-use plastic soda and water bottles are a real problem.  Every year, billions of them are produced – comprising nearly 300 million tons of plastic that mostly ends up in landfills or in the ocean.   This discarded plastic ends up on remote islands, in the snow atop mountains, and in trenches in the deepest parts of ocean.

There has been increasing pressure on beverage companies to put an end to this environmental disaster, but the convenience and economy of disposable bottles is just too attractive.

These bottles are made of plastic derived from oil and once they are produced, they take decades or even centuries to decompose.  Recycling them is a not-starter because it is cheaper to just make new ones.

A possible solution has emerged.  A Dutch company called Avantium has found a way to take plant sugars and transform them into a plastic capable of standing up to carbonated beverages like soda and beer but that will also break down in as little as a year in a composter or 3 years if left exposed to the elements.

Coca Cola and Carlsberg are working with Avantium to develop new drink packaging based on their material that could be in stores as soon as 2023.  The new packaging would be quite different from what we use today.  Instead of a clear or tinted bottle, beverages would come inside a cardboard container with a liner made of plant-based plastic.

It may take a while for people to get used to the change, but we have already managed to get used to milk, juice and other liquids coming in cardboard containers instead of glass or plastic bottles.  The benefits to the planet would make the effort well worthwhile.

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Plant-Based Bottles Could Degrade In One Year

Photo courtesy of Avantium.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Making Use Of Invasive Seaweed | Earth Wise

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In recent years, millions of tons of brown Sargassum seaweed have formed gigantic blooms stretching all the way across the Atlantic Ocean from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico.  The seaweed has become a problem for shorelines in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the east coast of Florida.  The massive increase in seaweed populations is related to changes in ocean chemistry resulting from nutrients from fertilizer use entering the water as well as from changes to the climate affecting ocean currents and temperatures.  The seaweed is harming the tourism industry as well as fisheries and ocean ecosystems.

Cleaning up the seaweed that washes ashore is labor-intensive and therefore expensive.  A research team led by two British universities has developed a cheap and simple way to pre-process seaweed to facilitate making it into bulk chemicals and biofuels.  With the new process, cleaning up the seaweed can be both economically and environmentally viable.

Previous techniques for processing seaweed generally required removing it from the saltwater, washing it in fresh water, and drying it – all of which add significant costs.  The new technique makes use of catalysts to release sugars from untreated seaweed that feed a yeast to produce a palm oil substitute.  At the same time, the process creates heat and pressure, turning the residual materials into a bio-oil that can be processed further into fuels, and a high-quality, low-cost fertilizer.

Apart from getting economic value out of the seaweed that is collected, any plastic collected alongside the seaweed can be converted to useful materials as well. 

It appears that the seaweed scourge is here to stay, so finding an economically viable way to deal with it is a welcome development.

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Solve invasive seaweed problem by turning it into biofuels and fertilisers

Photo, posted August 10, 2015, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Conspicuous Consumption

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Human civilization consumes vast amounts of material.   The Circle Economy think tank actually puts some numbers on it.  According to their latest report, the amount of material consumed by humanity has passed 100 billion tons every year.  So, on average, every person on Earth uses more than 13 tons of materials per year.

That number has quadrupled since 1970, which is far faster than the population, which has only doubled during that time.  In the past two years alone, consumption has jumped by more than 8%.  While this has been going on, the proportion being recycled has been falling.

Of the 100 billion tons of materials, half of the total is sand, clay, gravel, and cement used for building, along with other minerals used for fertilizer.  Coal, oil and gas make up 15% and metal ores 10%. The final quarter are plants and trees used for food and fuel.  About 40% of all materials are turned into housing.  A third of the annual materials consumed remain in use, such as in buildings or vehicles.  But 15% is emitted into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases and a third is treated as waste.

The global emergencies of climate change and disappearing wildlife have been driven by the unsustainable extraction of fossil fuels, metals, building materials, and trees.  The authors of the report warn that if we continue to treat the world’s resources as limitless, we are heading for a global disaster.

The Circle Economy think tank promotes the idea of a circular economy in which renewable energy supports systems where waste and pollution are reduced to zero.  Some nations are taking steps towards circular economies, while others are not.  This is a problem we can’t allow to be unaddressed.

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World Consumes 100 Billion Tons of Materials Every Year, Report Finds

Photo, posted March 13, 2015, courtesy of Joyce Cory via Flickr.

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Much More Microplastics In The Ocean | Earth Wise

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We’ve been hearing more and more about plastic contamination (microplastics) in the ocean.  It is pulled from the nostrils of sea turtles, found in Antarctic waters, and tracked in increasing quantities in sedimentary layers dating back to the 1940s.  A new study by researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography suggests that there could be a million times more pieces of plastic in the ocean than previously estimated.

Oceanographers found that some of the tiniest countable microplastic particles in seawater occur at much higher concentrations than previously measured.  Apparently, the traditional way of counting marine microplastics most likely misses the smallest particles, and therefore underestimates the number of particles by a factor of anywhere from 10,000 to a million.

The new measurements estimate that the oceans may be contaminated by 8 million pieces of so-called mini-microplastics per cubic meter of water.  Earlier studies that only looked at larger pieces of plastic found only 10 pieces per cubic meter. 

Microplastic studies typically trawl or pull a fine net behind a ship to collect samples.  But the meshes previously used could only capture plastics as small as 333 microns.  The new study found plastic particles as small as 10 microns, which is less than the width of a human hair.

Plastics keep breaking down into smaller and smaller particles, but they are so chemically strong that their chemical bonds don’t break down. They remain bits of plastic.  Scientists are concerned that these particles can get small enough to enter the human bloodstream.  The potential effects on human health are not well known and not extensively studied.

The problem of plastics just keeps getting bigger.

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Microplastics a million times more abundant in the ocean than previously thought

Photo courtesy of UC San Diego.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

The Problem Of Gas Flaring | Earth Wise

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Gas flaring is the burning off of flammable gas released by pressure relief values during over-pressuring of plant equipment at petroleum refineries, chemical plants, natural gas processing plants, and a variety of oil and gas production plants.  Flaring is also used during plant startups and shutdowns.

A new study by Rice University concludes that reducing gas flaring would benefit both the environment and the economy. Flaring and venting of gas in West Texas’s Permian Basin and certain other parts of the U.S. have reached levels that the intended result of burning gas to allow oil extraction now looks more like wasting one resource to produce another.

At current rates, enough gas is flared in the Permian Basin to yield nearly 5 million metric tons of exportable liquid natural gas if it was captured and liquified.  At these rates, the wasted gas could fill the largest sized LNG carrier every ten days.  If that liquified natural gas was exported to China and used in a power plant, it would displace 440,000 metric tons of coal burned to generate electricity.

Burning natural gas to heat homes, power industrial processes, or generate electricity all emit carbon dioxide, but at least these things also perform valuable functions. Flaring gas produces CO2 as well as other combustion products but doesn’t even do anything useful.  The venting of unburned gas, which also takes place with some frequency, is even worse since it is dumping methane directly into the atmosphere.

Across the U.S., some 14.1 billion cubic meters of natural gas was flared in 2018, equivalent to nearly 9 million metric tons per year of LNG.  In energy terms, that is equivalent to more than one-third of the total LNG volume U.S. firms actually exported that year.

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Reducing gas flaring will benefit economy and environment, says Baker Institute expert

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Mexico’s Wonder Plant

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In 1979, an American naturalist named Thomas Hallberg visiting a small town in Oaxaca, Mexico was amazed to find a type of local maize – or corn – that grew nearly 20 feet high in poor-quality soil even though the local farmers did not use any fertilizer.

The unique corn plant had aerial roots that grew a mucous-like gel just before harvest season.  It seemed totally implausible, but the plant seemed to be fixing its own nitrogen:  extracting it from the air and somehow making it useful to the plant.

In 1992, Hallberg returned with a group of Mexican scientists and collected samples to study in his lab.  His research showed that the maize indeed received nitrogen from the air through its aerial roots.  It took over 20 years to figure out what was going on in the plants.  It turns out that bacteria that thrive in the low-oxygen environment of the maize’s mucus pulls nitrogen from the air and feeds it to the plant.

Scientists will probably spend years figuring out if a commercial application of this indigenous maize is viable.  It isn’t guaranteed that the self-fertilizing trait of the plant can be bred into a commercial crop.  But if it can, the payoff would be huge.  Farmers spend more than $3 billion a year on corn fertilizer in the US alone.

A vexing problem is who should reap the financial benefits of the maize.  The isolated village where the plant is grown has already signed an agreement to share in any such benefits.   But there are other Oaxacan villages that also grow the plant. 

Mexico’s wonder plant is likely to be caught up in the growing issue of biopiracy, which is the exploitation of indigenous knowledge and biological resources without permission.

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Indigenous Maize: Who Owns the Rights to Mexico’s ‘Wonder’ Plant?

Photo credit: ALLEN VAN DEYNZE/UC DAVIS

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Concerns About Dam Safety

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The United States has a total of 91,000 dams of various sizes and types.  Many of them are aging and sorely in need of repairs.  All that maintenance would add up to tens of billions of dollars.  Experts are increasingly worried that as extreme precipitation events become increasingly common, dams are increasingly at risk of failure, threatening lives and posing environmental risks.

In 2017, Oroville Dam in California – the tallest dam in the country – nearly collapsed.  That incident forced the evacuation of 190,000 people and cost the state of California $1.1 billion in repairs.  California is considered one of the nation’s leading states in dam safety management and yet the partial disintegration of Oroville’s two spillways during a heavy rainstorm was not anticipated.

So far, federal and state dam safety officials have not been able to get disinterested state legislatures and the U.S. Congress to fork up the money needed for repairs to the nation’s aging dam infrastructure.

Th American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation’s dams a D grade on the latest infrastructure report card.  They estimate that the cost of rehabilitating dams whose failure would threaten human life at nearly $45 billion, and the cost of fixing all dams in need of repair at more than $64 billion.

Scientists say the likelihood of dam failures – which not only threaten lives but also release toxic sediments trapped in reservoirs behind many dams – will increase as extreme precipitation events become more frequent in a warming world.  Apart from about 1,500 dams owned by federal agencies, regulating dam safety is primarily the responsibility of the states.  So far, states have not applied remotely sufficient resources to a growing problem.

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In an Era of Extreme Weather, Concerns Grow Over Dam Safety

Photo, posted August 20, 2014, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Fishers Helping To Clean The Oceans

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Marine litter – particularly plastics – is a global, persistent, and increasing threat to the oceans.  Much of it comes from discarded materials on shore that makes their way to the sea but waste from the fishing industry is a also a major contributor to the problem. 

Commercial fishers are acutely aware of the potential for marine litter to damage and even destroy their livelihoods and are starting to try to be part of the solution instead of just part of the problem.

An initiative called Fishing for Litter, which has been operating around the British coastline since 2006, is an example.

With hubs in Scotland and South West of England, FFL aims to reduce the amount of marine litter in the sea by physically removing it while also highlighting the importance of good waste management in the fishing fleet.  Fishers have to assume responsibility for their own waste and dispose of it in a responsible manner.  They also have a unique ability to access remote and hard to reach marine litter caused by others.

A survey of 120 commercial fishers revealed that they often found marine litter in their hauls and that keeping the sea and coasts clean was important to them. 

The responsibility for reducing marine litter does not belong to any single industry or organization.  It requires a collective global change of behavior.  The problem directly affects fishers, so they are especially motivated to do something about it.   They can make an important contribution to an issue that ultimately affects us all.  Groups like Fishing for Litter are providing a model for behavior that we can only hope that others around the world can emulate.

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Fishers keen to help address the problem of marine litter

Photo, posted July 9, 2009, courtesy of Rennett Stowe via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Wildlife Bridges

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Highway accidents involving animals are a big problem for both people and animals.  About 200 people die every year in the U.S. as a result of collisions with animals.  In total, one to two million large animals are killed by motorists every year.  And these crashes are expensive:  deer-car collisions cost an average of more than $8,000 each; elk-vehicle collisions about $25,000; and moose-vehicle collisions over $44,000. 

In the United States, there are 21 threatened and endangered species whose very survival is threatened by road mortalities.   These include Key deer in Florida, bighorn sheep in California, and red-bellied turtles in Alabama.

One solution that has been quite effective around the world in reducing car-animal collisions is wildlife overpasses and underpasses.  Crossings and fencing that guide animals over or under highways reduce collisions by 85-95%.

These traffic-spanning bridges and tunnels have been popular in Europe since the 1950s.  The overpasses usually look much like regular overpasses for cars but are decked out with native flora.  The underpasses, which assist shyer and smaller animals, are typically invisible to drivers.

Washington State has recently started building wildlife bridges and underpasses on Interstate 90.  These passes will allow elk, black bears, mountain lions, pika, and even trout to traverse what was once a near-impenetrable barrier of road.

Some animals that are accustomed to human structures start using the crossings almost immediately.  For others, there is learning curve.  As in many things, the early adapters are important as they provide paths and model behavior that more reticent animals learn to follow.

Wildlife bridges are a very good thing for wildlife and for people.

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Web Links

How wildlife bridges over highways make animals—and people—safer

Photo, posted July 22, 2017, courtesy of David Fulmer via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

High-Tide Flooding And Pollution

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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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Web Links

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.

WAMC Northeast Public Radio

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