Earth Wise

By Randy SimonScience Education Self-Improvement Natural Sciences Nature

Earth Wise episodes

July 05, 2019 Climate Change Is Not Natural
It has been the overwhelming consensus of the scientific community for a long time that human activity and other external factors are responsible for the continuing rise in global temperature. Despite this widespread agreement, there have been those who argue that natural ocean cycles might be influencing global warming over the course of multiple decades.
A new study, published in the Journal
of Climate, provides an answer to the question of how much influence
natural cycles might have, and that answer is very little to none.
The study looked at observed ocean and land temperature data since
1850 and, apart from human-induced factors such as greenhouse gas
concentrations, took into account other occurrences such as volcanic eruptions,
solar activity, and air pollution peaks.
The findings demonstrated that slow-acting ocean cycles do not explain
the long-term changes in global temperatures.
Based on the study, the researchers can state with confidence that
human factors like greenhouse gas emissions and particulate pollution, along
with year-to-year changes caused by natural phenomena like volcanic eruptions
or El Niño, are sufficient to explain virtually all the long-term changes in
temperature. The idea that the oceans
could have been driving the climate either in a colder or warmer direction for
multiple decades in the past and therefore will do so in the future is unlikely
to be correct.
A number of previous studies have compared flawed observations with
flawed modeling results to claim that naturally-occurring ocean cycles have
played a large role in global temperatures.
The new study shows that such cycles have little influence on the climate. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is really
what we need to do.
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Global temperature change attributable to external factors, confirms new study
Photo, posted November 13, 2007, courtesy of Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
2 min
July 04, 2019 Banning The Shark Fin Trade
Shark fins are considered a delicacy in many parts of the world, especially in China. Shark fin soup, for example, is often served at engagement parties and weddings. But the use of shark fins has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, especially since an estimated one-third of fins are harvested from species deemed at risk.
Many of the fins used in shark fin soup come from a practice known as
“finning,” which is an inhumane and wasteful practice where the fins are hacked
from live sharks and then the sharks are thrown back into the water and left to
die. According to U.N. estimates, 73
million sharks are killed every year for their fins.
The possession, sale, and distribution of shark fins is banned in 12
U.S. states, as well as in all European Union member states.
In 1994, Canada banned the practice of finning in its own waters, but
allowed the import of fins to continue.
Canada has been one of the largest markets for shark fins outside Asia,
importing nearly 300,000 pounds of shark fins last year. But in late June, Canada passed a bill that
bans both the import and export of shark fins harvested by shark finning. They are the first G7 and the first G20
country to do so.
But shark fins taken from sharks sustainably harvested for their meat
will continue to be allowed in Canada.
While demand for shark fins is decreasing globally, demand for shark
meat is rising.
Since sharks still face a myriad of environmental pressures, including
illegal fishing and high bycatch rates, there are concerns that this Canadian
ban oversimplifies the threats facing global shark populations.
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Canada becomes the first G20 country to ban shark fin trade
Photo, posted January 4, 2013, courtesy of Andrew Currie via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
2 min
July 03, 2019 Return Of An Old Threat
The 1987 signing of the Montreal Protocol was one of the biggest victories for global environmental stewardship. The 197 signatory nations banded together to address a planetary emergency: the depletion of the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere resulting from the use of chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs.
Over the years, there were celebratory headlines like “The Earth’s
Ozone Hole is Shrinking” and “Without the Ozone Treaty, You’d Get Sunburned in
5 Minutes”. And indeed, the hole in the
ozone layer has shrunk over time.
However, the presence of CFCs in the atmosphere is continually monitored
and studies in recent years reported new emissions of about 13,000 tons of
CFC-11 a year from somewhere in eastern Asia starting in 2012. That was two years after the 2010 date for
ending all CFC production under the terms of the Montreal Protocol.
A new study published in Nature
has pinned down the source of more than half of the new CFC emissions to the
provinces of Shandong and Hebei on the northeastern coast of China. The bulk of these emissions are believed to
come from small factories using the chemical to manufacture foam insulation
used in refrigerators and buildings.
The Chinese government has already shut down two manufacturing
locations, but undercover agents have found that 18 out of 21 manufacturers in
the region are using the banned substance.
They appear to be quite adept at circumventing enforcement.
The new emissions aren’t large enough so far to be catastrophic, but the Chinese government needs to crack down on this illegal activity. It is difficult to stop because these are small companies operating in meth lab-like facilities. Saving the earth’s atmosphere from ourselves is a tricky business.
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How an Illicit Chemical Is Jeopardizing Recovery of the Ozone Layer
Photo, posted July 28, 2012, courtesy of Beth Scupham via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
2 min
July 02, 2019 Intense Rainfall And Crops
The warming of the planet does not necessarily imply local weather will be warmer or drier than average. While heatwaves and droughts are increasingly common events in many places, so are intense rain events.
A new study led by scientists at the University of Illinois has found
that intense rainfall is as damaging to the U.S. agricultural sector as
heatwaves and excessive droughts.
The study examined more than three decades of crop insurance, climate,
soil, and corn yield data. Researchers
found that since 1981, corn yields in the U.S. Midwest were reduced by as much
as 34% during years with excessive rainfall.
Years with drought and heatwaves experienced yield losses of up to 37%.
Intense rain events can physically damage crops, delay planting and
harvesting, restrict root growth, and cause oxygen deficiency and nutrient
loss. The study estimated that between
1989 and 2016, excessive rainfall caused $10 billion in agricultural losses. However,
excessive rainfall can have either negative or positive impact on crop yield
and the effects can vary regionally.
Parts of the Midwest have already experienced a 42% increase in the
heaviest precipitation events since 1958.
Climate change models predict that much of this region will experience
even more frequent and intense precipitation events in the coming decade.
According to the study, excessive rainfall is the major cause of crop
damage currently in the U.S. for corn, and also has broad impacts for other
staple crops such as soybeans and wheat. The authors suggest that as rainfall
becomes more extreme, reforms will be needed in the U.S. crop insurance
industry in order to better meet planting challenges faced by farmers.
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Intense Rainfall Is As Damaging to Crops As Heatwaves and Drought, and Climate Change Is Making It Worse
Photo, posted October 2, 2013, courtesy of the United Soybean Board via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
2 min
July 01, 2019 Two Million Solar Installations
Three years ago, we reported that the United States had installed its one millionth solar energy system, a feat that took 40 years to accomplish. Recently, the Solar Energy Industries Association announced that there are now more than 2 million U.S. installations.
Analysts forecast that there will be 3 million installation in 2021
and 4 million in 2023.
California continues to lead the nation in installing solar
power. More than 50% of the first
million installations were in that state and California accounted for 43% of
the second million. Its share is nevertheless
slowly dropping with the growth of the residential solar sector that is rapidly
diversifying across state markets. Some
places have seen extremely rapid growth.
In South Carolina, there were barely more than 1,000 cumulative
installations in 2016; today, the state is home to more than 18,000 solar
systems and expects to add 22,000 more over the next five years.
The five leading states in terms of number of solar installations are
California, Arizona, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Other states recently seeing rapid growth
in solar installations are Texas, Utah, Florida, Rhode Island and
Maryland. Looking ahead, Illinois is
forecast to grow from only 4,000 installations today to nearly 100,000 by
2024. The top ten state markets apart
from California expect to add nearly 750,000 installation over the next five
years.
The United States is at least the third nation that is home to more than 2 million solar installations. (Australia hit the milestone late least year and Japan actually topped 2 million in September 2014).
According to forecasts from analyst first Wood Mackenzie, by the year 2024, there will be on average one new solar installation every minute.
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The United States surpasses 2 million solar installations
Photo, posted January 11, 2012, courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
2 min
June 28, 2019 Rapid Antarctic Melting
The Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica is the world’s largest ice shelf, covering an area roughly the size of France. Scientists have spent several years building up a record of how the northwest sector of the enormous ice shelf interacts with the ocean beneath it. Their results show that the ice is melting much more rapidly than previously thought because of in-flowing warm water.
In general, the stability of ice shelves is thought to be mostly
influenced by their exposure to warm deep ocean water. But the new research has found that surface
water heated by the sun also plays a crucial role in melting ice shelves.
The interactions between ice and ocean water that occur hundreds of
meters below the surface of ice shelves have a direct impact on long-term sea
level. The Ross Ice Shelf stabilizes the
West Antarctic ice sheet by blocking the ice that flows into it from some of
the world’s largest glaciers.
When ice shelves collapse, the glaciers that feed them can speed up by
a factor of two or three. None of the
collapsing shelves in the past have come anywhere close to the size of the Ross
Ice Shelf, which is more than 100 times bigger.
The new study by New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research showed that sun-heated surface water flowing into the cavity under the ice shelf near Ross Islands caused melt rates to nearly triple during the summer months. This indicates that the loss of sea ice resulting from climate change is likely to increase melt rates in the future. While the Ross Ice Shelf is still considered to be relatively stable, the new findings show that it may be more vulnerable than previously thought.
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Rapid melting of the world’s largest ice shelf linked to solar heat in the ocean
Photo, posted February 15, 2009, courtesy of Alan Light via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
2 min
June 27, 2019 A Rainy May
If it seemed like May was unusually rainy, that’s because it was. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, May 2019 was the second-wettest month on record in the U.S. and contributed to a record-setting wet 12-month period.
The average precipitation for May was 4.41 inches, which is 1.5 inches
above normal. The wettest month in 125
years of record keeping was May 2015, which averaged just 0.03 inches more than
this past May.
The period from June 2018 through May 2019 saw the wettest 12-month
period on record in the U.S. with 37.68 inches, nearly 8 inches above average. Increases in heavy rain events are among the
most anticipated and well-documented impacts from climate change.
During May, the stormy pattern led to widespread flooding in the
nation’s heartland. In North Carolina,
early-season extreme heat and a rapidly-developing drought was replaced by
intense rainfall and flooding.
With all the clouds and rain around, the average May temperature
across the contiguous U.S. was 59.5 degrees, which ranked in the bottom third
of the 125-year record.
Extreme and unusual weather is becoming commonplace as the climate
changes. Duluth, Minnesota had 10.6
inches of snow on May 9, breaking an all-time record for May. Denver had its snowiest May in 77 years. But while the U.S. experienced somewhat
cooler weather than usual, the planet as a whole continues to warm. April 2019 was the second hottest April on
record, dating back to 1880. The Arctic
region saw a record low for sea ice.
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Rain-soaked U.S. had its 2nd-wettest month on record in May
Photo, posted May 20, 2013, courtesy of Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
2 min
June 26, 2019 A Giant Solar Farm In Dubai
Like many places in the Middle East, Dubai made its fortune from oil. But the Emirate’s oil resources are limited, and its economy has evolved in other directions. Today, oil provides less than 5% of Dubai’s revenues; its economy relies on revenues from trade, tourism, aviation, real estate, and financial services.
Dubai is also away from fossil fuels to meet its energy needs. A monumental construction project is underway deep within Dubai’s desert interior which will be the largest solar energy facility in the world.
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park – named after Dubai’s ruler – has been under development for 7 years. Total investment in the project will be nearly $14 billion when it is completed in 2030. It will have a total capacity of 5,000 megawatts, enough to power 1.3 million homes. Only some large hydroelectric power plants, the largest nuclear power plants, and a couple of Asian coal plants have more generating capacity.
Phases one and two of the project are already complete and feature
more than 2 million solar panels. Phase
three – well along the way in construction – will add another 3 million solar
panels and should be completed next year.
Phase four will not involve solar panels but instead will make use of
the world’s tallest concentrated solar power tower. It will use mirrors to focus sunlight at the
top of the tower to heat up molten salt that will power steam turbines to
generate electricity and will be able to operate long after the sun goes down.
Currently, the Tengger Desert Solar Park in China is the largest photovoltaic park in the world, but a colossal farm in India will take its place in a few years. Big solar is getting bigger all the time.
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$13.6B record-breaking solar park rises from Dubai desert
Photo, posted December 15, 2018, courtesy of Anoop S. via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
2 min
June 25, 2019 A Squid Skin Blanket
Ultra-lightweight space blankets have been around for a long time. Marathon runners wrap themselves in them to avoid losing body heat after a race. They are very effective, but the amount of heat that they trap is fixed. There is no way to regulate how much heat is trapped or released using a space blanket.
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a
next-generation, adaptive space blanket that allows users to control their
temperature. The inspiration for the
design was the skins of various species of squids, octopi and cuttlefish. The ability of these aquatic creatures to
camouflage themselves by rapidly changing color is due, in part, to skin cells
called chromatophores that can instantly change from tiny points to flattened
disks.
The Irvine researchers have developed a material that contains a layer
of tiny metal islands that border each other.
In the relaxed state, the islands are bunched together, and the material
reflects and traps heat, much like a conventional Mylar space blanket. But when the material is stretched, the
islands spread apart, which allows infrared radiation to go through and heat to
escape.
The researchers envision many other applications for the novel
material, including adaptable insulation for buildings and tents that can be
adapted to different weather conditions.
There is even the possibility of clothing that can be adjusted to suit
the comfort of each person.
The new material is lightweight, easy and inexpensive to manufacture,
and is durable. It can be stretched and
returned to its original state thousands of times. Some day we might all be wrapping ourselves
in imitation squid skins.
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Squid skin inspires creation of next-generation space blanket
Photo, posted May 29, 2005, courtesy of Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
2 min
June 24, 2019 Powering Cars With Cactus Juice
Back in 2016, a company called Nopalimex, located in Micoacan, central Mexico, built the world’s first cactus-powered energy plant. The facility utilizes a biodigester to make biogas from nopal, also known as prickly pear cactus. The nopal plant has been called the ‘Green Gold of Mexico’ and is a staple in Mexican diets, medicine and cosmetics.
Nopalimex is now using the cactus to make biofuel for vehicles.
The fruit of the cactus is pureed, mixed with manure, and then left to
decompose, producing methane. The
methane produced – about eight tons a day – fuels the biodigester which powers
the company’s corn chip and cactus chip production and is being tested in a
fleet of government vehicles.
The biogas will cost just 65 cents per liter, which is about a third
cheaper than the cost of regular gasoline.
Using prickly pear as a feedstock for biofuel is attractive because it
can be grown in places where traditional energy crops cannot. One can imagine vast fields of cacti in
remote, arid areas of the country where normal crops cannot grow. It would not suck up the resources or space
needed to feed people, which is an ongoing criticism of current bioenergy
crops.
As long as the nopals are regularly replanted, the process is almost
entirely sustainable, producing only water and nopal waste, which can be used
to fertilize other crops.
Finding sustainable ways to produce fuel while doing minimal damage to
the environment is an important challenge for countries around the world. In Mexico, harnessing the power of the
prickly pear cactus is a unique and clever solution.
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Web Links
Mexico’s ‘green gold’: The company powering cars with cactus juice
Photo, posted July 8, 2006, courtesy of Christian Frausto Bernal via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
2 min

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From green business and new environmental legislation to how nature impacts our environment in ways never before considered, Earth Wise offers a look at our changing environment.