2 degrees warming = 70 ft sea level rise?

A recent study of past climates suggests that, even if we limit the total global warming to 2 degrees Celsius (a very challenging task that we are not working very hard on today), the ultimate sea level rise will be 40 to 70 feet higher than present.  That would mean goodbye to Pacific Beach, many island cultures, and most of Florida!  Hello, Waterworld?  As we saw in class, a global rise of 2 degrees results in stronger warming at the poles, and major predicted losses of ice on Greenland and Antarctica.  But only 2 to 3 feet of this sea level rise will occur by 2100.

The hazards of prenatal pesticide exposure

A study conducted by three Universities across the nation is looking at the long-term effects of organochlorines on pregnant women, and more specifically their offspring. Studies conducted over a ten year period show that women who had higher exposures to pesticides during pregnancy, gave birth to children who exhibited lower I.Q. scores during early childhood. In addition to the low I.Q. scores, it is expected that the children who were exposed to greater levels of prenatal pesticide exposure are going to experience additional problems as they age. While the findings from this study are rather shocking, women can reduce their exposure to organochlorines by taking precautionary measures, one of the most important of which includes consuming organic foods (which are grown without organophosphate pesticides).  

More Furans in Expresso than Coffee?

Research has shown that different coffee products contain varying concentrations of furans. Specifically, it was found that higher concentrations are found in espresso (43‐146 nanograms/mililitre) than in coffee made in drip coffee makers, both in the case of normal coffee (20‐78 ng/ml) and decaffeinated coffee (14‐65 ng/ml). The highest funan concentrations were found to be in capsule coffee, having levels ranging from 117‐244 ng/ml. In general, scientist say that the more the compound is exposed to air, the better, due to the fact that that furans are highly volatile compounds. Capsules, being hermetically-sealed, are the worst because they do not allow for furan evaporation. However, to those expresso and capsule coffee lovers out there, there is no need to worry because in order to exceed the maximum acceptable values for furan consumption, you would have to drink at least 20 cups of capsule coffee or 30 espressos per day (for the brands with the highest furan content). More can be read about this here.

Should San Diego County's GHG Footprint be of Concern?

Students at the University of San Diego conducted a study to determine the Greenhouse Gas Footprint of San Diego County. Any gas in the atmosphere that absorbs infrared radiation from the sun and traps heat in the atmosphere is considered a greenhouse gas (GHG), some of the most common naturally occurring greenhouse gases being that of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane, while other common gases include those of which are produced anthropogenically (by way of humans), including nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases, along with carbon dioxide and methane. When analyzing the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions produced by an operation, a population, or in this case a specific region, the measurement is referred to as the carbon 'footprint,' and furthermore is calculated as the carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), assisting in determining the global warming potential (GWP) a given type and amount of greenhouse gas might cause. 

The study conducted at USD analyzed the emissions of GHG's in San Diego County over a time span of 22 years, focusing on the early date of 1990, along with data from more recent years, 2009, 2010, and 2011. Sources of emissions analyzed included electricity usage, natural gas, off-road equipment & vehicles, industrial emissions, wastewater & landfills, agriculture, and aviation, rail, & boating. While data was relatively scattered, it was found that the general trend of GHG emissions in San Diego County appears to be on the decline. It was gathered that in 1990, the carbon footprint of San Diego County was 22.87 CO2e, while just last year, in 2011, the footprint was gathered to be 11.36 CO2e. Nearly a 50% decrease. Although 2008 data indicated a bit of an increase in the footprint (27.66 CO2e), the footprint appears to have dropped significantly in just the past three years alone. In general, the sources of emissions were highest in the electricity sector, producing over half of the counties emissions each year, followed by the transportation sector. 

Being aware of the carbon footprint of San Diego County, along with footprints of all counties, states, and nations cohesively, is important, particularly the acknowledgement of the sources of the greenhouse gases. Fortunately,  the carbon footprint of San Diego County is on the decline, which may or may not be linked to the increased awareness of the population to the hazards associated with having a high carbon footprint. While the prevention of natural greenhouse gases is out of our control, we are, however, capable of controlling the quantities of anthropogenic greenhouse gases emitted into our environment. Studies of new findings are published on a daily basis, informing people of the various ways in which they can assist in the goal to minimize anthropogenic emissions, and hopefully contribute to the declining trend of the carbon footprint of the county in which they reside.

Watch an informative video on how to reduce your carbon footprint. 

Pesticides All Around

This week in Silent Spring we read about the effects pesticides have and how they appear almost everywhere due to blanket spraying. This article posted talks about the effects of pesticides and how they are still being used for non-specific spraying in public areas and are causing harm to not only people but also other living creatures without the public even being aware of it until after the fact.

Beaker World

During a recent experiment at the University of San Diego, a simulation was created of the water and ice on Earth when it is exposed to visible radiation.  Two beakers contained ice and cold water, while a third beaker contained only room temperature water.  One of the beakers with ice and the beaker without were placed under a lightbulb to simulate strong visible radiation, while the third beaker was kept away from direct exposure to the light.  This lab showed that, even though a large temperature change did not occur in the beaker with only room temperature water, the heat from the light still vaporized the water to the same steady state temperature of around 24 degrees Celsius.  Also, the two beakers with ice heated at about the same rate to the steady state temperature, despite one of the beakers not being directly exposed to the light.  

Another experiment was done to simulate another aspect of climate change.  In our group we decided to test the effects of soot and aerosol particles on the melting of glaciers.  This was done by having two different beakers.  One beaker just contained ice, while the other contained ice and a salt compound.  Although the beaker with the salt heated at a slower rate, it melted just as quickly as the other beaker.  This shows that soot and aerosol particles on ice can lower the temperature at which the glaciers and ice on the earth can melt, therefore melting the ice more quickly.  When the ice melts, this creates heat, which then slowly warms the earth.  This is therefore one of the reasons that global warming is occurring.  

A President Poisoned

In the 2004 Ukraine Presidential Election, Viktor Yushchennko, the candidate favored to win, suddenly fell ill. An article in the New York Times discusses his illness, which started as a brief hospitalization due to abdominal pains. After awhile he began to get back pains so severe he needed to have an IV during the election campaigns. Doctors were unsure for awhile what could have been causing the illness. Poising was suspected but from what source was unknown until the chloracne began to appear on his face. Once this was observed it was determined that he suffered from dioxin poisoning and his body had dioxin levels more than a thousand times the limit. This indicated that he must have ingested it, and thus it was suspected that he was purposefully poisoned. It is still not known who poisoned him, but he survived the attack and won the presidential election.

Whats your GWP?

A study at the University of San Diego was conducted to determine the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of various greenhouse gases. The Global Warming Potential of a gas is the potential it has to trap heat in the atmosphere and thus add to the heating of the environment. 

It was found that a Freon mixture of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) emitted from sources such as electronic cleaners had the highest GWP of gases measured. In general, the greenhouse gases with the highest GWPs measured were from CFCs, methane, HFC-134a, and CCl₄; most of these come from anthropogenic sources such as burning of fossil fuels, dry cleaning solvents, or refrigerants. 

Though many of these gases are being used less in the developed world, many developing nations still use them today. It is important to study the GWP of gases in order for people to understand their own effects on the environment. By learning what gases are bad for the environment, people can work towards reducing their own greenhouse gas emissions in order to prevent future climate change.

Concerning Birds: Are Wind Turbines a Threat?

The Obama administration has new suggestions for wind turbine locations with the hopes that they will reduce the number of bird deaths while offering the same or increased wind power. That being said, bird advocacy groups are still unhappy, claiming the changes will do little to protect birds. This is interesting in light of this week's reading because wind turbine related bird casualties make up such a small number of anthropogenic bird deaths. According to the article, 3 out of every 100,000 human related bird deaths are caused by wind turbines. Many more birds fall victim to poisonous pesticide spraying, it seems that bird advocacy groups should be focusing their efforts on this issue.

polyurethane-eating fungi discovered in Amazon

Not exactly relevant to our current readings (it's more environmental biology than chemistry), but still interesting!
Fungi discovery

These guy live on polyurethane and don't need oxygen. That means that they can sit at the bottom of landfills and feed on the trash we previously thought would just sit there and continue to build up.

"There is now hope for a plastic-free environment in the future." (:

Denmark seeking to be the global leader in the transition to green energy

Denmark has set goals to cut its gas emissions by 34% by 2020, compared to 1990 levels. The plan will reduce energy consumption by 12% compared to 2006 levels and most impressively, 50% of all its electrical power will be wind generated.

All of these goals are in line to help Denmark meet the 2050 finish line of having 100% of its energy generated from renewable sources (including transport!).

Go Denmark!

The Problem of PCBs in Practice

Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, were a widely used industrial organochlorine chemical from the 1950s that were used for their inert and electrical insulation characteristics, low vapor pressures, and low production costs.  However, due to their widespread use, accumulation and contamination of sediments and the environment from these chemicals were also widespread.  As PCBs have a high persistence, and take many years to break down, dumping of these chemicals in landfills has been a lasting issue since the 1980s.  PCBs are also seen as probably carcinogens, and strongly linked to heart, thyroid, and diabetic problems.  Some industries, such as General Motors, have been charged with PCB dumping in areas and landfills that are in close proximity to American Indian reservations.  This article discusses not only the environmental impact of GM's dumping, but also environmental racism issues attached to such selective dumping.

U.S. Sagebrush

The Silent Spring  discusses the removal of sagebrush in the United States. This was to be done to make room for more grass to be grown in order to provide more area for cattle to graze. Because the book was written in 1962, I decided to look into the current state of the sagebrush. According to an article posted by the USGS, settlement and agriculture have led to a decline in more than half of the sagebrush nationally,with Wyoming containing the most. Several Wyoming and Federal agencies worked together to form the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative to help take a more environmentally friendly approach to enhance energy development while protecting the natural environment.

Genetically engineering 2,4-D resistant seeds?

Dow is looking to manufacture a 2,4-D resistant seed to enable farmers to use the chemical to kill weeds that have developed resistance to other chemicals. Since the 1980's, farmers have been using Roundup to rid their lands of the weeds that strangle their crops, but Roundup-resistant weeds have become more and more common, necessitating development of new herbicides. A genetically engineered seed resistant to 2,4-D would enable farmers to use the chemical over their land to kill weeds while their crops remained unharmed. Controversy is stemming from the fact that this chemical was one of the ingredients in Agent Orange, the chemical used in Vietnam that resulted in numerous diseases and defects. Proponents argue that the harmful product of Agent Orange, the dioxins, will not be produced without the second half of Agent Orange.

Efforts To Thwart Household Toxicity

A recent article in the New York Times recounts the journey of a pregnant mother named Laura MacCleery, who was determined to clear her house of toxic chemicals for the health of her child. To her surprise, she ended up throwing away almost all of her cosmetics, shampoo, detergents and sink cleaners due to them containing various toxic chemicals. The danger of this for mothers is that pesticides, fire retardants and PCBs contained in these products can be found in the umbilical cord blood of newborns, leading to the development of possible health problems. What bothers Ms. MacCleery is that currently we can all shop our way to purchase products containing low amounts of toxins; however, what we need are rules and systems in place to protect our health. 

It Took 20 Years ...

... but the EPA has finally announced what it considers to be a safe level of dioxin exposure based on many different toxicity studies:  0.7 parts per trillion in the human body.  However, before you get too excited, consider that this level does not yet consider cancer risk -- the EPA is still working on that.  Dioxin is a shorthand name for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, one of the most toxic substances known, and a human carcinogen.  It was a major contaminant in Agent Orange, but today the major source of dioxin production in the U.S. is backyard garbage burning.  It turns out that whenever you burn something that contains chlorine (such as some plastics) in a smoldering fire, dioxin is spontaneously generated.

Global Warming: The Intersection of Science and Politics

I don't mean to turn this into a political blog, but I think this is an interesting issue that should be addressed.
It may come as no surprise, but polls have shown that there is a strong correlation between political party and belief in global warming. Of individuals polled who believed that recent temperatures are warmer than usual, 19% of republicans, 28% of independents, and 43% of democrats believed that they was caused by global warming.
Why is it that this scientific issue is so dependent on where an individual's political preferences/beliefs lie?
poll

Some organochlorine pesticides are still being used today in the US.  It is now being found that these pesticides are suppressing Vitamin D levels in humans and other animals.  This shows that organochlorines have a longer lasting effect than people thought they did when manufacturing of these chemicals began.  This article talks about how pesticides have been known to thin the egg shells of birds, which we previously discussed in class.  The article says that this further provides data for the hypothesis that organochlorines decrease Vitamin D in animals because Vitamin D is one of the main vitamins that helps to regulate shell thickness. This means that if there is a lower amount of Vitamin D present, there will be a thinner shell present.

2,4 D is one of the three main pesticides used today in the US.  This chemical was originally created during WWII and was one of the main ingredients of Agent Orange.  The use of this chemical was seen to cause lymphoma, and is now thought to cause increased birth defects.  This article shows pictures of all of the different types of lawn products that use this harmful chemical.  The author of this article also tries to convince people to get involved to ban this harmful pesticide from being used in products.  Action had been taken in 2008 to try and petition the ban on 2,4 D, but the EPA has not done anything about this petition for almost 4 years.  This has caused the council that created the petition to file a lawsuit against the EPA.

Good Intentions, Bad Herbicides

As with the case of many commonly used herbicides, the herbicides triclopyr, sethoxydim and imazapyr are commonly used in the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge to control the invasive weeds that out-compete the naked stem buckwheat, which is the necessary host plant for the endangered Lange's metalmark butterfly.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife specialists wanted to decrease the growth of the invasive weeds, while not decreasing the buckwheat and had good intentions in introducing these herbicides, but did not see through the full implications of such an action.  This article describes a recent study completed that illuminated the affects of the commonly used herbicides on plant quality, thus also indirectly the food source for the endangered butterflies in the East Bay.  While the correlation is not exactly known yet, this illustrates another example of how good intentions, through seemingly quick fixes in science, have had a negative outcome for the biological factors involved.

Rachel Carson: Environmental Savior or Genocidal Psycopath?

Thus far I really enjoy “The Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson. It is easy to see in her writing how passionate Carson was about improving the state of our environment. Passion, however, can often be misinterpreted as extremism, and I consequently was curious to see if there have been negative reactions to her book.

I found one such article written by Lisa Makson for Frontpage Magazine. In her article Makson claims that DDT is a completely harmless pesticide when used correctly, and she explains in depth the political processes that caused it to be unjustly banned. Makson goes so far as to blame Carson for singlehandedly causing the resurgence of infectious diseases such as malaria and typhus since the outlawing of DDT, and compares the ban on DDT to the deliberate murder of innocent people. Additionally, she states that Carson has no scientific grounds for any of the statements in her book, and that it is filled with “junk science,” and “hysterical speculations.”

Low-Dose Environmental Exposure Linked to Human Health Issues

While DDT and PCBs have been discontinued, they commonly persist to this day in the environment that we live in due to lengthy rates of breakdown, bioaccumulation within organisms, etc.  It has been a common understanding that the low-dose exposure of certain compounds, such as common pesticides, are relatively harmless to humans.  However, recent studies have shown that many everyday compounds are being linked to disruptions in the endocrine (hormone) system through low-dose environmental exposures. 

New Scientific Study Links Bee Deaths to Pesticides

Have you ever heard of Colony Collapse Disorder?  This phenomenon has been responsible for the abrupt disappearance of honey bees for the past decade.  Research from scientists at Purdue University indicate what environmentalists have suspected for a long time--that this phenomenon is linked to pesticides, specifically, chemicals originating from the German company Bayer.  These neonicotinoid pesticides are applied to corn and soybean seeds before planting, are taken up by the plant's vascular system, and then transported to the pollen and nectar.  Contrary to previous thought, research indicates that sub-lethal doses weaken the immune systems of the insects and that even tiny doses can devastate an entire hive.  Bayer has since not acted to stop the production and distribution of these pesticides.
I believe that bees, plants, animals, and humans alike will continue to become more vulnerable to viruses, bacteria, and other micro-organisms if something is not changed.  Responsibility needs to be taken for the harm done to the earth!  Companies like Bayer need to wake up to the reality that they are destroying life, and if things continue on this path, there will be no more life to celebrate.  What do you think?    
       
    

Futile Attempts Made To Reduce DDT Pollution in SF Bay

Although being banned by the US in 1972, the insecticide DDT still is present in great quantities throughout the San Francisco Bay canal, threatening the lives of both humans and aquatic life. Despite numerous cleanup attempts, with the most recent costing about $12 million, little progress was made. It is mind-blowing to think about the sheer amount of DDT that must have been discharged in to the the bay in order for such large amounts of the pesticide to still be present. Read more about this here.

Nuclear Waste Disposal

The article titled "What Now for Nuclear Waste" addresses the complications that we currently face in terms of nuclear waste disposal. While it is known that nuclear waste persists in the environment for hundreds of years, there are several options for handling this waste, including reprocessing the fuel to remove the long-lived isotopes to be burned in a fast reactor, burying the spent fuel, or simply maintaining aboveground storage until politicians and scientists alike have decided the next step. Although the disposal of nuclear waste, as seen in the Yucca Mountain debate, is at a standstill, at least the spent waste is well inventoried and managed, and unlike carbon dioxide, it does not disperse into the atmosphere, nor does it seep from storage lagoons. 

As there are no plausible scenarios for controlling climate change which do not require the use of nuclear energy, and apart from hydroelectricity, it is one of the only consistent and reliable sources which does not require the burning of fossil fuels. Since the US does not have any major hydro sources available, nuclear waste seems like a good option in terms of renewable energy. For those viewing the development of new nuclear plants as a negative thing due to the lack of a 'proper' disposal mechanism, I think it is time to move away from discussions and disagreements regarding the disposal of nuclear waste, and perhaps focus on the beneficial qualities that nuclear energy can bring to our country. 

Nuclear Secrets

1991 Ariel View of Rocky Flats

On Sunday, the New York Times published an interesting article that illustrates a woman's experience living near the Rocky Flats nuclear bomb facility in Colorado. The author describes her anger towards the government for failing to inform the public of radioactive and toxic contaminants that routinely escaped from the Rocky Flat. Overall, she notes that many radioactive issues occurring around the world are wrongfully kept secret, showing sadly that public health is a sacrifice that many large industries are willing to make for profit.

When people think of air quality more often than not smog, acid rain, CFC’s and other forms of outdoor air pollution come to mind. In a recent study performed at the University of San Diego the amount of air pollution from vehicles and the smoke of cigars and cigarettes was measured. Air pollution affects all living things.  It causes health problems in humans and animals, can cause damage to plants and reduce visibility.

There are several main types of pollution and well-known consequences that are discussed in everyday life. Three main contributors of air pollution can be traced to vehicle emissions and tobacco smoke; ozone, particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Particulate matter, released when fuel is incompletely burned, can lodge in the lungs and irritate or damage lung tissue.  NOx is of special concern because of its ability to harm lung tissue and also because of its role in the production in dangerous tropospheric ozone.

In the result of the study it was found that cigars release a greater amount of NOx than cigarettes. In the testing of various vehicles it was discovered that NOx levels were higher in cold starts of vehicle engines, whose catalytic converters hadn’t reached their operating temperatures.  Inversely particulate matter was found to increase in vehicles of higher engine temperatures. 

A year ago, there was an accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, which caused a release of radioactive materials into the air.  This accident caused nuclear plants to rethink using nuclear power as a source of energy.  This article talks about how some countries have drawn back their current plans for use of nuclear power, like Germany and Mexico.  Although current plans for most countries show that they have leveled off their use of nuclear plants or stopped their use of these plants, there are still some countries with future ambitions of using nuclear plants.  The map shown in this article presents a clear picture of who the leading countries are in nuclear plants and who plans on creating more plants in the future.

Health Effects Caused From Cigar and Cigarette Emissions

A recent study conducted at the University of San Diego measured the nitrogen oxide (NO_x) absorbance values and the amount of particulates given off from the smoke of a cigar and cigarette. It was found that the cigar had higher absorbance values of NO_x than the cigarette, and the cigarette gave off the most particulates. It was found that the cigar and cigarette had higher absorbance values of NO_x compared to the absorbance values from motor vehicles.

Nitrogen oxides and particulates are important contributors to air pollution. Nitrogen oxides can form when cigars and cigarettes burn. The formation of nitrogen oxides is an issue because they contribute to photochemical smog and play a significant role in acid rain. Particulates are small solid or liquid particles that are suspended in a gas. Particulates and nitrogen oxides are both formed during high temperature combustion, but particulates are typically formed from the less refined fuels such as diesel or oil.

Vehicle Emissions: What They Mean For Your Health

The growing number of cars on the roads may be bad for your health.

Recent studies performed at the University of San Diego measured air pollutants in vehicle emissions. Oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) and particulate matter (PM) were quantified in an assortment of vehicles at cold and warm engine temperatures. These are of particular interest because of their negative impacts on human health.

NO_x is an important air pollutant, not only because of its role in the production of the dangerous chemical ozone, but because of its harmful effects on human health. Like ozone, it too impairs lung function. It also contributes to smog and acid rain.

Particulate matter affects human lung function, as well as heart function. High levels of PM in the atmosphere have been associated with an increased number of heart attacks.

Both NO_x and PM are formed during high temperature burning and combustion engines. Efforts have been made to decrease NO_x levels with the use of catalytic converters. These were shown to decrease NO_x levels, however they only start working after the vehicle engine has reached operating temperature. PM production was found to increase in cars at higher engine temperatures.

Nuclear Power and Political Propaganda

Nuclear power is an attractive alternative energy source for the reason that it does not generate greenhouse gases. However there is a stigma surrounding nuclear power that it is dangerous and much more destructive than coal, natural gas, and other energy sources. This is apparent in the recent ad campaigns in Iowa that aired before a nuclear power bill was brought before legislators. The ad referenced the incident at the Fukushima after a tsunami knocked out power to the plant. It also mentions the high cost of nuclear power. This is especially interesting as 72% of Iowa power is supplied by coal, which is a much less efficient power source.

Fission, Fusion, or Both?

This article discusses various forms of nuclear power: fission, fusion, and a hybrid approach.  In the push for cleaner forms of energy, especially renewable energy, there is much uncertainty and lack of understanding in the overall field, while most of the world remains solely dependent on other fuels such as petroleum and coal.  In 2006, the European Union, United States, China, India, Russia, Japan, and South Korea agreed to build and finance the first International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, which would be a fusion reactor.  Back then, the estimated cost was $13 billion, but now, as the article mentions, the project is nearing $26 billion and there is still uncertainty about the development of certain technologies.  Thus, to some it seems like it is time to take a step back and look at alternative forms of nuclear power, such as a hybrid of fission and fusion.

Chernobyl

An article in the Huffington Post details life 25 years after the disaster in Chernobyl through pictures. The pictures highlight the main problems discussed in the book caused by the explosion. It is evident that thyroid cancer is a problem which affects people of all ages from the area. It is also sad to see the complete devastation it has caused in the lives of the people that lived there. The entire town was left completely empty, with many personal items left behind. Twenty-five years later, elderly people are beginning to return choosing to risk the radiation in order to live in their own homes. It seems definitely true that the speed with which they were forced to evacuate has severely impacted the lives of those from the area, even more so than the other health effects from the radiation itself.

The person who discovered that CFCs harm the ozone layer

An obituary was published today for Sherry Rowland, the UC Irvine professor who discovered in 1973 that CFCs could harm the ozone layer.  He shared the 1995 Nobel Prize in chemistry with Paul Crutzen and Mario Molina for this discovery.  I got to sit in on a class he taught to graduate students while I was a postdoc at UC Irvine in 1997.  His introductory comments about the relationship of science to the larger economic life of the country were memorable.  He showed a picture of a shark feeding, with lots of little fish nearby eating the little scraps that were inconsequential to the shark.  "Scientists sometimes think that we drive the economy," he said.  "But really, we are more like the little fish in this picture, and the shark is the economy.  The shark doesn't mind if the little fish eat the excess scraps floating around, but if they go after the main meal there's going to be trouble."

Adapting to Renewable Energy

In an effort to use more sustainable energy sources and ones that contribute less to greenhouse gases, many places are switching to solar and wind energy systems. Our electricity is dispersed throughout a grid system that was created for distributing power produced at a constant rate by a power plant. In an article on NPR, it talks about how the energy grid needs to be updated to allow for our new energy sources. Solar and wind energy sources are dependent on the weather, so they produce energy at varying rates. Additional solar and wind energy inputs changes the way the grid operates pushing towards an innovation to handle our increasing use of renewable energies.

Renewable Power vs. Social Justice

Hydroelectric power is primarily yielded from the downward movement of water, which often turns turbines that creates mechanical electric power. Thus, dams and reservoirs are massive sources of hydroelectric power depending on their size. This power is relatively clean and renewable compared to other sources of power, such as fossil fuels that are dwindling and are detrimental to the environment.  However, to create dams large enough to create enough power for a nation, large areas of land are needed. In Brazil, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was met with heavy opposition as she proposed and ratified a plan to destroy a large portion of the Amazon Rainforest to build a large hydroelectric dam to provide power to Brazil. This article describes the project and various environmental and labor organizations that are criticizing this dam, as it will displace thousands of indigenous people and destroy a large portion of the rapidly disappearing rainforest. As all forms of renewable power have costs, at what cost is hydroelectric power acceptable? Is President Rousseff validated in her actions as the President of a developing country that requires the power?

Wind power has been one of the main sources of renewable energy over the past years.  This means that it is far more developed than other kinds of renewable energy sources.  In this article, the positives and negatives of wind power are discussed.  Wind power has become increasingly efficient as a source of electricity, and plans are being created to increase this efficiency even more.  One of the main advantages of wind power is its ability to be used everywhere, even in the middle of the ocean.  It is also a much cheaper source of renewable energy.  One of the main disadvantages of wind power is that it cannot always be controlled and does not always work when it is needed.  Wind power is only available about 40% of the year, whereas fossil-fuel powered plants are available about 90% of the time.  New blade designs are being worked on to solve this problem.  They would also like to try and store the energy created from the wind power into batteries to harvest the wind power and be able to use it, even when no power is currently being produced.

California has been working on increasing its use of renewable energy.  It had a goal of 33% renewable energy by 2020. This article talks about how California has already been working on doubling this goal.  One of the ideas that will help to reach this goal is to eventually create buildings and homes that have zero net energy.  Photovoltaic projects are the main source of this new renewable energy.  San Diego has more power from distributed energy, mainly from solar panels, than any other city in California.  There are almost 5000 solar installations in San Diego alone.  Then next energy project is trying to connect all of the rooftop solar panels to create one grid.  The good thing about all of these future projects, besides the use of renewable energy, is that it seems to be very cost efficient.  The good these projects will bring will be worth the money that is needed to design these projects.

Is Natural Gas Really the Cleanest of all Fossil Fuels?

Recent research conducted by NOAA shows that natural gas might be more detrimental to the environment than that of coal, further indicating that a widespread, global shift from coal to natural gas would in fact do little for global climate change, perhaps even intensifying global warming. Air sampled just north of a natural-gas field in Denver, Colorado revealed high levels of natural gas, leading scientists to estimate that approximately 4% of all gas is being lost to the atmosphere. Furthermore, as methane is roughly 25% more efficient at trapping heat than that of carbon dioxide, such high quantities of natural gas leaking into the atmosphere could very possibly offset any environmental edge that natural gas supposedly exerts over other types of fossil fuels, including that of coal. The article, which can be found here, further discusses the issue this presents, especially as the US has recently undergone a natural gas boom, driven by a new technology known as 'fracking.' The following image displays the change in temperature that will be experienced as a direct result of the percentage of natural gas leaked from the source. This raises the question of whether natural gas really is indeed better for the planet than that of coal?  

Nuclear Energy vs. Fossil Fuels?

The following article analyzes carbon dioxide output following the Fukushima disaster in Japan, whereby three meltdowns at the power plant led to various shutdowns of nuclear reactors at the Fukushima power plant along with several others nearby. While it was found that energy consumption dropped significantly (approximately 10%), emissions of carbon dioxide increased about 4%. One would think that CO2 emissions would decrease as a result of the decrease in energy consumption, however as the nation turned to natural gas, oil, and coal in substitution for the 46 reactors which were subsequently shut down, the percentage of carbon dioxide per unit of energy running was approximately 15% higher. As this case of Fukushima shows, a decrease in nuclear production in favor of fossil fuels will only increase carbon dioxide emissions, and thus contribute to global warming. After reading this article, is it safe to assume that nuclear energy is more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels?

Global CO2 cycle and it's impacts on the world's oceans

Last semester USD hosted distinguished professor Barbel Honish from Columbia University, and those fortunate enough to attend her presentation overheard her speak about the wide variety of examples imprinting the geologic record, showing natural perturbations to both global carbon cycling and climate change. Elevated atmospheric CO2, global warming, and ocean acidification over the past ~300 million years of Earth's history were a couple of the prime events that were covered in her discussion, and which can be found in great detail in her article. The majority of Honish's research pertains directly to the chemistry of the world's oceans, in particular ocean acidification, by which she studies both calcareous and organic fossil lineages, leading her to assess the affects of increased carbon dioxide uptake by the world's oceans. The image below displays the carbon cycle and it's interplay with the oceans, along with processes leading to ocean acidification, and anthropogenic perturbations. In her article, Honish explains how global carbon cycle models can be used to infer the magnitude of carbon release through the observations of changes in calcium carbonates and organic remnants, in addition to the analysis of arctic ice cores. Lastly, Honish states that the current rate of fossil fuel carbon dioxide release is capable of driving ocean geochemical changes potentially unparallel to those of the past 300 million years of Earth's history, and in turn, we might be entering unknown territory in regards to marine ecosystem change.