Proper landscaping is as important to energy and water efficiency in a home as anything else. And eco-friendly mulch is the easiest way to keep that landscape healthy. Using mulch in flower beds, around sidewalks, and around trees is great for controlling erosion, keeping in the moisture, and making your plants look fabulous.
These days shredded tires, peanut shells, and pine bark and other recycled materials are all being used for sustainable landscaping projects instead of the traditional composition. Of course, your environmental footprint will most likely be greater in the long run if you have to buy an eco-friendly mulch that’s been shipped halfway around the world, but there are easy ways to create mulch with your own recycled materials.
Old newspapers make great mulch. Just shred them into small strips and spread the strips around your flower bed. Due to their tendency to clump when wet, however, its often recommended to apply them as a bottom layer, and then add different mulch on top. They will biodegrade over time and add nutrients to the soil.
Peanut shells, if you have enough of them, also work. They make a great mulch due to their chemical composition. You can mix them with leaves or compost to make a nice-looking finish. However, according to gardeners, they’re not good food for worms and therefore the natural nutrient cycling is not as effective. What’s more, there is often a risk of mold accumulation with peanut shells that can spread to your plants and harm them. Therefore, nut shells are not necessarily the best bet for your mulch, but they definitely work.
rubWhat about recycled rubber? Old tires are filling up landfills across the US—what better way to give them new purpose than to add them to your home’s landscaping? You can buy preshredded rubber at your nearest garden center or you can make it yourself. It is insect-resistant and aesthetically appealing. Rubber mulch applications are particularly common on playgrounds, but they are just as good for your sophisticated landscape bedding.
Pine bark and pine needles are the best tree materials for mulch. They have a high moisture retaining capacity and keep away insects. The substances’ high acidity contributes well to plants that require increased acid in the soil. Pine bark also retains its color longer than most other tree barks, meaning that it needs to be replaced less often.
While pine makes a great mulch, other tree products that have the same characteristics might be slightly more sustainable. Eucalyptis, for example, grows rapidly like bamboo and is highly abundant, allowing it to be harvested and regenerated in a more predictable manner than pine. But remember, it is usually more sustainable and simple to use whatever product grows nearest you.
Unfortunately, however, mulch can never beat the advantages of the compost pile. You can create a compost bin with food waste and yard clippings, then spread it throughout your flower beds. This is by far the most nutrient-enhancing mulch option for plants.
When in doubt, you can mix together most organic substances to create a fine looking and eco-friendly mulch.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Flights Over Arctic Provide Data for Investigating Ozone Hole Depletion
An international team of researchers is investigating ozone depletion in the polar stratosphere using data gathered during flights over the Arctic region at elevations of up to 20 kilometers.
he team of atmosphere researchers -- among them Stephan Borrmann, Professor at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and one of the directors of the Max Planck Institute of Chemistry in Mainz -- hopes to discover how long the processes that result in the formation of the hibernal holes in the ozone layer at the polar caps actually take. It is also expected that the data collected during the flights undertaken with the high-altitude aircraft "M55 Geophysica" will provide insight into what effect climate change is having on the physical and chemical processes that influence the ozone layer. This would make it possible to extrapolate the future development of the ozone layer under the conditions obtained during on-going changes.
The chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) released by humans on the surface of the earth are gradually transported into the stratosphere. Here the CFCs are exposed to powerful ultraviolet radiation which decomposes the chlorofluorocarbons to finally release chlorine. This chlorine usually reacts with other chemicals and is bound in substances such as hydrogen chloride vapor and chlorine nitrate, which are not detrimental to ozone. However, in the stratospheric clouds located over the poles, the clorine from CFCs can form aggressive ozone-destroying chlorine monoxide radicals (CIO).
Analysis of these clouds is thus essential to the research being conducted by the Mainz team under Stephan Borrmann. And it is these extraordinary but natural clouds that are formed only in the stratosphere over the Arctic and Antarctic regions during the cold of the polar winters that are implicated in the formation of the holes in the ozone layer.
"As the warming of the atmosphere attributable to climate change also has a direct effect on the physical and chemical processes associated with the ozone layer, we urgently need to conduct new research into this aspect," explains Professor Borrmann.
The scientists are able to directly analyze the properties of the particles making up these polar stratospheric clouds -- frozen droplets of ice and nitric acid with an approximate diameter of 3-20 micrometers -- using instruments attached to the aircraft. In order to be able to determine the rate and extent of ozone depletion, the scientists need to find out exactly what size these droplets are and how many of them are present in these polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). The Mainz team is using additional instruments to evaluate the characteristics of ultrafine airborne aerosol particles that are also present in the stratosphere and play a role in the relevant processes.
Remarkably, the presence of meteoric dust was even detected in the stratosphere during the data-gathering flights conducted between mid-January and mid-March 2010. It has also proved possible to collect significant amounts of data directly from PSCs. "We were amazed to discover that there were surprisingly large particles present in polar stratospheric clouds. These has a diameter of up to 30 micrometers, and they were rapidly precipitated thanks to their weight. This causes the substances contained in them to be irreversibly removed from the stratosphere, thus promoting the process of ozone depletion," Borrmann explains.
Originally a Russian spy plane, M55 Geophysica is one of only three aircraft worldwide that are able to reach the stratosphere -- and it can do this while carrying a payload of nearly one ton of metering instruments and other equipment. Such flights are the only way in which the atmospheric researchers can collect the information they still need to understand the correlations between ozone depletion and climate change.
Researchers from nine countries are taking part in the measuring flights, which start from Kiruna, located in the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden. The campaign is part of the EU project "RECONCILE" (reconciliation of essential parameters for an enhanced predictability of arctic stratospheric ozone loss and its climate interactions) that is being coordinated by scientists of the Jülich Research Center.
Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by Universitaet Mainz.
he team of atmosphere researchers -- among them Stephan Borrmann, Professor at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and one of the directors of the Max Planck Institute of Chemistry in Mainz -- hopes to discover how long the processes that result in the formation of the hibernal holes in the ozone layer at the polar caps actually take. It is also expected that the data collected during the flights undertaken with the high-altitude aircraft "M55 Geophysica" will provide insight into what effect climate change is having on the physical and chemical processes that influence the ozone layer. This would make it possible to extrapolate the future development of the ozone layer under the conditions obtained during on-going changes.
The chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) released by humans on the surface of the earth are gradually transported into the stratosphere. Here the CFCs are exposed to powerful ultraviolet radiation which decomposes the chlorofluorocarbons to finally release chlorine. This chlorine usually reacts with other chemicals and is bound in substances such as hydrogen chloride vapor and chlorine nitrate, which are not detrimental to ozone. However, in the stratospheric clouds located over the poles, the clorine from CFCs can form aggressive ozone-destroying chlorine monoxide radicals (CIO).
Analysis of these clouds is thus essential to the research being conducted by the Mainz team under Stephan Borrmann. And it is these extraordinary but natural clouds that are formed only in the stratosphere over the Arctic and Antarctic regions during the cold of the polar winters that are implicated in the formation of the holes in the ozone layer.
"As the warming of the atmosphere attributable to climate change also has a direct effect on the physical and chemical processes associated with the ozone layer, we urgently need to conduct new research into this aspect," explains Professor Borrmann.
The scientists are able to directly analyze the properties of the particles making up these polar stratospheric clouds -- frozen droplets of ice and nitric acid with an approximate diameter of 3-20 micrometers -- using instruments attached to the aircraft. In order to be able to determine the rate and extent of ozone depletion, the scientists need to find out exactly what size these droplets are and how many of them are present in these polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). The Mainz team is using additional instruments to evaluate the characteristics of ultrafine airborne aerosol particles that are also present in the stratosphere and play a role in the relevant processes.
Remarkably, the presence of meteoric dust was even detected in the stratosphere during the data-gathering flights conducted between mid-January and mid-March 2010. It has also proved possible to collect significant amounts of data directly from PSCs. "We were amazed to discover that there were surprisingly large particles present in polar stratospheric clouds. These has a diameter of up to 30 micrometers, and they were rapidly precipitated thanks to their weight. This causes the substances contained in them to be irreversibly removed from the stratosphere, thus promoting the process of ozone depletion," Borrmann explains.
Originally a Russian spy plane, M55 Geophysica is one of only three aircraft worldwide that are able to reach the stratosphere -- and it can do this while carrying a payload of nearly one ton of metering instruments and other equipment. Such flights are the only way in which the atmospheric researchers can collect the information they still need to understand the correlations between ozone depletion and climate change.
Researchers from nine countries are taking part in the measuring flights, which start from Kiruna, located in the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden. The campaign is part of the EU project "RECONCILE" (reconciliation of essential parameters for an enhanced predictability of arctic stratospheric ozone loss and its climate interactions) that is being coordinated by scientists of the Jülich Research Center.
Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by Universitaet Mainz.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Northwest Lava Flows Could Have Altered Earth’s Climate, Wiped out Species, New Evidence Suggests
(Apr. 7, 2010) — New research suggests the volcanic birth of the Northwest's Columbia Plateau happened much more quickly than previously thought and with an intensity that may have changed the earth's climate and caused some plants and animals to go extinct.
"What you're looking at are lava flows that repeat fairly quickly," said Steve Reidel, research professor of geology at Washington State University Tri-Cities. "Not decades or centuries, but months or years."
Reidel is a co-author of a paper in the recent issue of the journal Lithos refining the time frame of the Grande Ronde lava flows, which produced enough molten basalt to sink the earth's crust and created the vast Columbia River Plateau of Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Just one of the 100 or so lava flows would have blanketed much of Washington State in 10,000 cubic kilometers of lava -- 10,000 times the volume of ash produced by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
The flows moved at walking speed, enough time for the horses and other animals of the region to get out of their path. But a single flow could reach as far as Portland, be more than 2,000 degrees Fahrebheit and take half a century to cool. In the process, it would have generated monsoons across the Northwest and emitted enough heat and sulfur to alter the earth's climate, said Reidel.
Substantial evidence has implicated other lava flows in the extinction of species. Siberian flows coincided with the epic Permian-Triassic "mass dying" that wiped out 96 percent of the earth's marine species 250 million years ago. A mass extinction at the end of the Triassic Period 200 million years ago coincided with lava coming out of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province between what is now northeastern South America and eastern North America. Gases from flows on India's Deccan plateau started a mass extinction some 65 million years ago, with the dinosaur-killing coup de grâce coming from a meteoroid that hit Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.
To date the Grande Ronde flows, lead author Tiffany Barry of Britain's Open University obtained basalt samples from Hanford, Wash., and outcrops between Vantage, Wash., and Lewiston, Idaho. With some of the most precise equipment in the world, she compared argon isotopes in the oldest, deepest levels and younger, shallower levels and used the element's decay rate to determine the rocks' relative ages.
Barry, Reidel, WSU Professor Emeritus Peter Hooper and other colleagues estimated the Grande Ronde flows took place between 15.6 and 16 million years ago, give or take 150,000 to 200,000 years. The youngest and oldest rock samples were only 420,000 years apart at the most. With a margin of error of 180,000 years, the rock may have been created over an even faster time frame of 240,000 years.
With less accurate equipment, Reidel and others previously estimated the flows occurred over a period of 1.5 to 2 million years. And because the Grande Ronde had so many flows, with some much larger than others, they likely had a far greater impact on the climate of their era than previously thought.
Some flows, wrote the researchers, "may have, at times, been simultaneous and, if confirmed, would have significant implications for potential environmental effects."
"It's an interesting piece of work and definitely a contribution," said John Wolff, a WSU professor in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, who was not involved in the paper. Both Wolff and the paper's authors note that the argon dating conflicts with dates established by looking at how changes in the earth's magnetic field affected the rock.
If the argon dating holds up, Wolff said, it will coincide with changes in the life forms and chemistry in the Atlantic Ocean. Just last summer, British researchers writing in the journal "Geology" described evidence of such changes off the west coast of Africa and singled out the Grande Ronde basalt flows as a possible cause.
"What you're looking at are lava flows that repeat fairly quickly," said Steve Reidel, research professor of geology at Washington State University Tri-Cities. "Not decades or centuries, but months or years."
Reidel is a co-author of a paper in the recent issue of the journal Lithos refining the time frame of the Grande Ronde lava flows, which produced enough molten basalt to sink the earth's crust and created the vast Columbia River Plateau of Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
Just one of the 100 or so lava flows would have blanketed much of Washington State in 10,000 cubic kilometers of lava -- 10,000 times the volume of ash produced by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
The flows moved at walking speed, enough time for the horses and other animals of the region to get out of their path. But a single flow could reach as far as Portland, be more than 2,000 degrees Fahrebheit and take half a century to cool. In the process, it would have generated monsoons across the Northwest and emitted enough heat and sulfur to alter the earth's climate, said Reidel.
Substantial evidence has implicated other lava flows in the extinction of species. Siberian flows coincided with the epic Permian-Triassic "mass dying" that wiped out 96 percent of the earth's marine species 250 million years ago. A mass extinction at the end of the Triassic Period 200 million years ago coincided with lava coming out of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province between what is now northeastern South America and eastern North America. Gases from flows on India's Deccan plateau started a mass extinction some 65 million years ago, with the dinosaur-killing coup de grâce coming from a meteoroid that hit Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.
To date the Grande Ronde flows, lead author Tiffany Barry of Britain's Open University obtained basalt samples from Hanford, Wash., and outcrops between Vantage, Wash., and Lewiston, Idaho. With some of the most precise equipment in the world, she compared argon isotopes in the oldest, deepest levels and younger, shallower levels and used the element's decay rate to determine the rocks' relative ages.
Barry, Reidel, WSU Professor Emeritus Peter Hooper and other colleagues estimated the Grande Ronde flows took place between 15.6 and 16 million years ago, give or take 150,000 to 200,000 years. The youngest and oldest rock samples were only 420,000 years apart at the most. With a margin of error of 180,000 years, the rock may have been created over an even faster time frame of 240,000 years.
With less accurate equipment, Reidel and others previously estimated the flows occurred over a period of 1.5 to 2 million years. And because the Grande Ronde had so many flows, with some much larger than others, they likely had a far greater impact on the climate of their era than previously thought.
Some flows, wrote the researchers, "may have, at times, been simultaneous and, if confirmed, would have significant implications for potential environmental effects."
"It's an interesting piece of work and definitely a contribution," said John Wolff, a WSU professor in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, who was not involved in the paper. Both Wolff and the paper's authors note that the argon dating conflicts with dates established by looking at how changes in the earth's magnetic field affected the rock.
If the argon dating holds up, Wolff said, it will coincide with changes in the life forms and chemistry in the Atlantic Ocean. Just last summer, British researchers writing in the journal "Geology" described evidence of such changes off the west coast of Africa and singled out the Grande Ronde basalt flows as a possible cause.
CryoSat-2: ESA's Ice Mission Delivers First Data
(Apr. 2010) —
Europe's first mission dedicated to studying variations in our planet's ice cover entered polar orbit just minutes after launch April 8, marking the start of three days intense activity. Mission controllers at ESOC, ESA's European Space Operations Centre, monitored CryoSat-2 around the clock to ensure the satellite's systems and payload were functioning normally.
The CryoSat-2 satellite was launched at 15:57 CEST (13:57 UTC), 8 April, on a Dnepr rocket provided by the International Space Company Kosmotras from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The signal confirming that it had separated from the launcher came 17 minutes later from the Malindi ground station in Kenya.
By the morning of April 11 -- with the mission progressing exceptionally well -- ESA's Flight Director Pier Paolo Emanuelli declared that the formal Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) was complete and said, "The satellite is in excellent condition and the mission operations team quickly resolved the few problems that came up. It's been a very smooth entry into orbit, precisely as planned."
Later on, CryoSat-2's primary instrument, the Synthetic Aperture Interferometric Radar Altimeter (SIRAL), was switched on for the first time and stared gathering the first radar echo data.
SIRAL's first data were acquired at 16:40 CEST and were downloaded and processed at ESA's Kiruna ground station.
"We switched SIRAL on and it worked beautifully from the very start. Our first data were taken over the Antarctic's Ross Ice Shelf, and clearly show the ice cover and reflections from underlying layers. These are excellent results at such an early stage and are a tribute to the hard work of the entire CryoSat community," said Professor Duncan Wingham, CryoSat's Lead Investigator.
The satellite is in a polar orbit, reaching latitudes of 88°. This is orbit brings it closer to the poles than earlier Earth observation satellites, resulting in an additional area of about 4.6 million sq km being covered -- an area larger than all 27 European Union member states put together.
CryoSat-2's sophisticated instruments will measure changes at the margins of the vast ice sheets that overlie Greenland and Antarctica and marine ice floating in the polar oceans. By accurately measuring thickness change in both types of ice, CryoSat-2 will provide information critical to scientists' understanding of the role ice plays in the Earth system.
"The combined ground teams proved the value of months of extensive training and preparation and the satellite has shown to be a high-quality machine with very few problems. The launch and orbit injection have been almost flawless and we are looking forward to an extremely productive mission," said Richard Francis, ESA's Project Manager for CryoSat-2.
With LEOP complete, ground experts will now pace CryoSat-2 through an exhaustive commissioning phase lasting several months, during which the systems on board the satellite and on the ground will be optimised to provide the best-ever ice thickness data from space.
"We are very happy with the first calibration results from the SIRAL. The data is now being processed and made available almost immediately to the commissioning teams. We are now in the process of optimising the data processing system and results will be released once we have accumulated enough data," said Tommaso Parrinello, ESA's CryoSat mission Manager.
Marking a significant achievement for ESA's Earth observation programme, CryoSat-2 is the third of its Earth Explorer satellites to be placed in orbit, all within a little over 12 months. CryoSat-2 follows on from the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mission, launched in March 2009, and the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, launched last November.
Europe's first mission dedicated to studying variations in our planet's ice cover entered polar orbit just minutes after launch April 8, marking the start of three days intense activity. Mission controllers at ESOC, ESA's European Space Operations Centre, monitored CryoSat-2 around the clock to ensure the satellite's systems and payload were functioning normally.
The CryoSat-2 satellite was launched at 15:57 CEST (13:57 UTC), 8 April, on a Dnepr rocket provided by the International Space Company Kosmotras from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The signal confirming that it had separated from the launcher came 17 minutes later from the Malindi ground station in Kenya.
By the morning of April 11 -- with the mission progressing exceptionally well -- ESA's Flight Director Pier Paolo Emanuelli declared that the formal Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) was complete and said, "The satellite is in excellent condition and the mission operations team quickly resolved the few problems that came up. It's been a very smooth entry into orbit, precisely as planned."
Later on, CryoSat-2's primary instrument, the Synthetic Aperture Interferometric Radar Altimeter (SIRAL), was switched on for the first time and stared gathering the first radar echo data.
SIRAL's first data were acquired at 16:40 CEST and were downloaded and processed at ESA's Kiruna ground station.
"We switched SIRAL on and it worked beautifully from the very start. Our first data were taken over the Antarctic's Ross Ice Shelf, and clearly show the ice cover and reflections from underlying layers. These are excellent results at such an early stage and are a tribute to the hard work of the entire CryoSat community," said Professor Duncan Wingham, CryoSat's Lead Investigator.
The satellite is in a polar orbit, reaching latitudes of 88°. This is orbit brings it closer to the poles than earlier Earth observation satellites, resulting in an additional area of about 4.6 million sq km being covered -- an area larger than all 27 European Union member states put together.
CryoSat-2's sophisticated instruments will measure changes at the margins of the vast ice sheets that overlie Greenland and Antarctica and marine ice floating in the polar oceans. By accurately measuring thickness change in both types of ice, CryoSat-2 will provide information critical to scientists' understanding of the role ice plays in the Earth system.
"The combined ground teams proved the value of months of extensive training and preparation and the satellite has shown to be a high-quality machine with very few problems. The launch and orbit injection have been almost flawless and we are looking forward to an extremely productive mission," said Richard Francis, ESA's Project Manager for CryoSat-2.
With LEOP complete, ground experts will now pace CryoSat-2 through an exhaustive commissioning phase lasting several months, during which the systems on board the satellite and on the ground will be optimised to provide the best-ever ice thickness data from space.
"We are very happy with the first calibration results from the SIRAL. The data is now being processed and made available almost immediately to the commissioning teams. We are now in the process of optimising the data processing system and results will be released once we have accumulated enough data," said Tommaso Parrinello, ESA's CryoSat mission Manager.
Marking a significant achievement for ESA's Earth observation programme, CryoSat-2 is the third of its Earth Explorer satellites to be placed in orbit, all within a little over 12 months. CryoSat-2 follows on from the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mission, launched in March 2009, and the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, launched last November.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Rising Water Temperatures Found in US Streams and Rivers
New research by a team of ecologists and hydrologists shows that water temperatures are increasing in many streams and rivers throughout the United States. The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, documents that 20 major U.S. streams and rivers -- including such prominent rivers as the Colorado, Potomac, Delaware, and Hudson -- have shown statistically significant long-term warming.
Potomac River. New research by a team of ecologists and hydrologists shows that water temperatures are increasing in many streams and rivers throughout the United States. The research documents that 20 major U.S. streams and rivers -- including such prominent rivers as the Colorado, Potomac, Delaware, and Hudson -- have shown statistically significant long-term warming. (Credit: Copyright Michele Hogan)
By analyzing historical records from 40 sites located throughout the United States, the team found that annual mean water temperatures increased by 0.02-0.14°F (0.009-0.077°C) per year. Long-term increases in stream water temperatures were typically correlated with increases in air temperatures, and rates of warming were most rapid in urbanized areas.
"Warming waters can impact the basic ecological processes taking place in our nation's rivers and streams," said Dr. Sujay Kaushal of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) and lead author of the study. "Long-term temperature increases can impact aquatic biodiversity, biological productivity, and the cycling of contaminants through the ecosystem."
"It's both surprising and remarkable that so many diverse river systems in North America behaved in concert with respect to warming," said Dr. David Secor of the UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory whose work focused on Maryland's Patuxent River, where he has noted a 3°F increase since 1939.
The analysis indicates that 20 of the 40 streams studied showed statistically significant long term warming trends, while an additional 13 showed temperature increases that were not statistically significant. Two rivers showed significant temperature decreases. The longest record of increase was observed for the Hudson River at Poughkeepsie, New York. The most rapid rate of increase was recorded for the Delaware River near Chester, Pennsylvania.
"We are seeing the largest increases in the most highly urbanized areas which lead us to believe that the one-two punch of development and global warming could have a tremendous impact on stream and river ecosystem health," said Dr. Kaushal.
Given long-term global warming and "urban heat island effects" related to the abundance of buildings, roads, concrete, and asphalt, the authors point out that conserving riparian forests, reducing impervious surfaces, adopting "green" infrastructure practices, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions can help reduce increased water temperatures.
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation and Maryland Sea Grant. The article, "Rising stream and river temperatures in the United States," appeared online in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment e-View on March 23, 2010 and was authored by Drs. Sujay S. Kaushal, Gene E. Likens, Norbert A. Jaworski, Michael L. Pace, Ashley M. Sides, David Seekell, Kenneth T. Belt, David H. Secor, and Rebecca L. Wingate.
Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Journal Reference:
1. Kaushal et al. Rising stream and river temperatures in the United States. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2010; 100323112848094 DOI: 10.1890/090037
Potomac River. New research by a team of ecologists and hydrologists shows that water temperatures are increasing in many streams and rivers throughout the United States. The research documents that 20 major U.S. streams and rivers -- including such prominent rivers as the Colorado, Potomac, Delaware, and Hudson -- have shown statistically significant long-term warming. (Credit: Copyright Michele Hogan)
By analyzing historical records from 40 sites located throughout the United States, the team found that annual mean water temperatures increased by 0.02-0.14°F (0.009-0.077°C) per year. Long-term increases in stream water temperatures were typically correlated with increases in air temperatures, and rates of warming were most rapid in urbanized areas.
"Warming waters can impact the basic ecological processes taking place in our nation's rivers and streams," said Dr. Sujay Kaushal of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) and lead author of the study. "Long-term temperature increases can impact aquatic biodiversity, biological productivity, and the cycling of contaminants through the ecosystem."
"It's both surprising and remarkable that so many diverse river systems in North America behaved in concert with respect to warming," said Dr. David Secor of the UMCES Chesapeake Biological Laboratory whose work focused on Maryland's Patuxent River, where he has noted a 3°F increase since 1939.
The analysis indicates that 20 of the 40 streams studied showed statistically significant long term warming trends, while an additional 13 showed temperature increases that were not statistically significant. Two rivers showed significant temperature decreases. The longest record of increase was observed for the Hudson River at Poughkeepsie, New York. The most rapid rate of increase was recorded for the Delaware River near Chester, Pennsylvania.
"We are seeing the largest increases in the most highly urbanized areas which lead us to believe that the one-two punch of development and global warming could have a tremendous impact on stream and river ecosystem health," said Dr. Kaushal.
Given long-term global warming and "urban heat island effects" related to the abundance of buildings, roads, concrete, and asphalt, the authors point out that conserving riparian forests, reducing impervious surfaces, adopting "green" infrastructure practices, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions can help reduce increased water temperatures.
This research was supported by the National Science Foundation and Maryland Sea Grant. The article, "Rising stream and river temperatures in the United States," appeared online in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment e-View on March 23, 2010 and was authored by Drs. Sujay S. Kaushal, Gene E. Likens, Norbert A. Jaworski, Michael L. Pace, Ashley M. Sides, David Seekell, Kenneth T. Belt, David H. Secor, and Rebecca L. Wingate.
Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Journal Reference:
1. Kaushal et al. Rising stream and river temperatures in the United States. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 2010; 100323112848094 DOI: 10.1890/090037
Friday, April 2, 2010
Hemp Building Materials...
Hemp is the all-purpose material long-championed by Thomas Jefferson and 1960s American counterculture alike. Food, textiles, paper, and fuel—there is a growing trend to cultivate this miracle crop and turn it into more eco-friendly versions of common products. Why is it so sustainable? Hemp can be grown rapidly and easily, like bamboo, without any herbicides or intensive labor. It regenerates, it regrows.
So how on earth can we utilize the plant for home construction? A handful of companies are now specializing in building walls, floors, and other structural components of houses out of chopped up hemp (it looks like mulch) combined with lime. Like the soybean insulation, the mixture of hemp and lime is sprayed on to a plywood base. It is easy and incredibly durable. A thick earthen wall made of hemp is also great for heat insulation.
Europe is ahead of the hemp game, with a growing industry in this type of eco-building, especially in Ireland and the UK. There is reason to believe that the U.S. will be catching on very soon. Perhaps some U.S. representatives will be attending the 1st International Hemp Building Symposium in September, taking place in Kenmare, Ireland.
So how on earth can we utilize the plant for home construction? A handful of companies are now specializing in building walls, floors, and other structural components of houses out of chopped up hemp (it looks like mulch) combined with lime. Like the soybean insulation, the mixture of hemp and lime is sprayed on to a plywood base. It is easy and incredibly durable. A thick earthen wall made of hemp is also great for heat insulation.
Europe is ahead of the hemp game, with a growing industry in this type of eco-building, especially in Ireland and the UK. There is reason to believe that the U.S. will be catching on very soon. Perhaps some U.S. representatives will be attending the 1st International Hemp Building Symposium in September, taking place in Kenmare, Ireland.
Forests at Risk: Swiss Needle Cast Epidemic in Douglas-Fir Trees Unprecedented, Still Getting Worse
The Swiss needle cast epidemic in Douglas-fir forests of the coastal Pacific Northwest is continuing to intensify, appears to be unprecedented over at least the past 100 years, and is probably linked to the extensive planting of Douglas-fir along the coast and a warmer climate, new research concludes.
Scientists in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University have also found that this disease, which is affecting hundreds of thousands of acres in Oregon and Washington and costing tens of millions of dollars a year in lost growth, can affect older trees as well as young stands -- in some cases causing their growth to almost grind to a halt.
The newest findings were just published in Forest Ecology and Management, a professional journal.
Swiss needle cast is a native fungal disease specific to Douglas-fir that was first described in Europe. It rarely kills trees but causes discoloration, loss of needles and growth reduction, and is common in the Pacific Northwest wherever Douglas-fir grows. However, it caused significant problems only in recent decades along the coast.
Starting in 1984, an epidemic began to develop, and it significantly worsened after 1996.
"It's now clear that this epidemic is a new phenomenon, with far more severity and impact than anything we've observed from Swiss needle cast in the past," said Dave Shaw, an assistant professor at OSU and director of a cooperative designed to fight this disease. "We've known of this disease for decades but it was considered a non-issue in terms of forest health. A perfect storm of conditions that favor this fungus has caused a major epidemic that is still growing."
The disease has now been identified at varying levels of severity in western Oregon on more than 300,000 acres in each of the past four years, peaking at 376,000 acres in 2008. Prior to this four-year period, it had affected as much as 300,000 acres only once in the 14-year history of aerial detection surveys, researchers say.
Depending on the multiple factors that influence it, it's possible it could ultimately have an impact on up to two million acres of forests near the Oregon coast, and change the face of forestry in a huge region.
The new study concluded that warmer conditions, especially from March through August, are associated with significantly reduced growth in diseased trees, which may reflect earlier fruiting of the fungus. Wet, drizzly conditions in May through July are also important. The warm, wet conditions within 20 miles or so of the Pacific Ocean make those areas a hotspot of disease in coastal Oregon and Washington.
"We now know that weather is a driver in the epidemiology and spread of this disease," said Bryan Black, an assistant professor of forestry based at OSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center. "We can't say yet whether climate change is part of what's causing these problems, but warmer conditions, milder winters and earlier springs would be consistent with that."
Another key suspect, scientists say, is the planting for decades of a monoculture of Douglas-fir in replacement of coastal forests, which previously had trees of varying ages and different species. Since Douglas-fir was a small component of these forests, it appears the disease was relatively insignificant. Even-aged stands of vulnerable Douglas-fir allow the fungus to build up to much higher levels, releasing spores that can literally spread with the wind. Reductions in growth of 20-30 percent are fairly common, and sometimes higher.
It used to be thought that the disease primarily affected only younger trees, mostly less than 40 years old and predominately the 10-30 year age group, the researchers say. This study, based on examinations of rings in naturally-regenerated trees more than 80 years old, for the first time showed that they are very susceptible as well. The findings erase any hope that older trees will "outgrow" the susceptibility to this disease, the scientists concluded.
"Tree growth has been reduced so much at severely-impacted sites that we could not actually find a growth ring that went all the way around some trees," Black said. "At these sites the overall growth rate over the past 25 years was reduced by more than 85 percent in comparison to non-diseased trees."
The impact of Swiss needle cast is highly uneven, difficult to predict, and often dependent on microclimate, terrain and availability of soil nitrogen. Fungicides can control it, but cost too much to be practical and raise environmental concerns. However, OSU is developing tools to better anticipate the problems it may cause and allow forest managers to consider alternative management strategies. Planting of less Douglas-fir is one option, using more western hemlock, red alder or other species.
In some places, nature has already begun this approach.
"We've seen sites where western hemlock is overtopping Douglas-fir that has almost stopped growing, and may ultimately replace it," Shaw said. "Some stands are already converting to alternative species on their own."
Work is under way to develop fungal-tolerant Douglas-fir families that may be of some value, especially in areas with low or moderate levels of the disease. Those studies will not be complete for several years.
If the epidemic continues to spread and begins to change growth and productivity of Douglas-fir, the researchers said, its impacts may go beyond forest health and timber production. It could affect the efficacy of managing lands for other purposes, such as wildlife protection.
"These tree ring data corroborate that the impacts of Swiss needle cast continue to worsen in the western Oregon Coast Range," the researchers wrote in their conclusion. "They also corroborate that Swiss needle cast is associated with climate, especially long-term warming trends during the late winter and early spring."
Email or share this story:
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Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by Oregon State University.
Journal Reference:
1. Black et al. Impacts of Swiss needle cast on overstory Douglas-fir forests of the western Oregon Coast Range. Forest Ecology and Management, 2010; 259 (8): 1673 DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2010.01.047
Scientists in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University have also found that this disease, which is affecting hundreds of thousands of acres in Oregon and Washington and costing tens of millions of dollars a year in lost growth, can affect older trees as well as young stands -- in some cases causing their growth to almost grind to a halt.
The newest findings were just published in Forest Ecology and Management, a professional journal.
Swiss needle cast is a native fungal disease specific to Douglas-fir that was first described in Europe. It rarely kills trees but causes discoloration, loss of needles and growth reduction, and is common in the Pacific Northwest wherever Douglas-fir grows. However, it caused significant problems only in recent decades along the coast.
Starting in 1984, an epidemic began to develop, and it significantly worsened after 1996.
"It's now clear that this epidemic is a new phenomenon, with far more severity and impact than anything we've observed from Swiss needle cast in the past," said Dave Shaw, an assistant professor at OSU and director of a cooperative designed to fight this disease. "We've known of this disease for decades but it was considered a non-issue in terms of forest health. A perfect storm of conditions that favor this fungus has caused a major epidemic that is still growing."
The disease has now been identified at varying levels of severity in western Oregon on more than 300,000 acres in each of the past four years, peaking at 376,000 acres in 2008. Prior to this four-year period, it had affected as much as 300,000 acres only once in the 14-year history of aerial detection surveys, researchers say.
Depending on the multiple factors that influence it, it's possible it could ultimately have an impact on up to two million acres of forests near the Oregon coast, and change the face of forestry in a huge region.
The new study concluded that warmer conditions, especially from March through August, are associated with significantly reduced growth in diseased trees, which may reflect earlier fruiting of the fungus. Wet, drizzly conditions in May through July are also important. The warm, wet conditions within 20 miles or so of the Pacific Ocean make those areas a hotspot of disease in coastal Oregon and Washington.
"We now know that weather is a driver in the epidemiology and spread of this disease," said Bryan Black, an assistant professor of forestry based at OSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center. "We can't say yet whether climate change is part of what's causing these problems, but warmer conditions, milder winters and earlier springs would be consistent with that."
Another key suspect, scientists say, is the planting for decades of a monoculture of Douglas-fir in replacement of coastal forests, which previously had trees of varying ages and different species. Since Douglas-fir was a small component of these forests, it appears the disease was relatively insignificant. Even-aged stands of vulnerable Douglas-fir allow the fungus to build up to much higher levels, releasing spores that can literally spread with the wind. Reductions in growth of 20-30 percent are fairly common, and sometimes higher.
It used to be thought that the disease primarily affected only younger trees, mostly less than 40 years old and predominately the 10-30 year age group, the researchers say. This study, based on examinations of rings in naturally-regenerated trees more than 80 years old, for the first time showed that they are very susceptible as well. The findings erase any hope that older trees will "outgrow" the susceptibility to this disease, the scientists concluded.
"Tree growth has been reduced so much at severely-impacted sites that we could not actually find a growth ring that went all the way around some trees," Black said. "At these sites the overall growth rate over the past 25 years was reduced by more than 85 percent in comparison to non-diseased trees."
The impact of Swiss needle cast is highly uneven, difficult to predict, and often dependent on microclimate, terrain and availability of soil nitrogen. Fungicides can control it, but cost too much to be practical and raise environmental concerns. However, OSU is developing tools to better anticipate the problems it may cause and allow forest managers to consider alternative management strategies. Planting of less Douglas-fir is one option, using more western hemlock, red alder or other species.
In some places, nature has already begun this approach.
"We've seen sites where western hemlock is overtopping Douglas-fir that has almost stopped growing, and may ultimately replace it," Shaw said. "Some stands are already converting to alternative species on their own."
Work is under way to develop fungal-tolerant Douglas-fir families that may be of some value, especially in areas with low or moderate levels of the disease. Those studies will not be complete for several years.
If the epidemic continues to spread and begins to change growth and productivity of Douglas-fir, the researchers said, its impacts may go beyond forest health and timber production. It could affect the efficacy of managing lands for other purposes, such as wildlife protection.
"These tree ring data corroborate that the impacts of Swiss needle cast continue to worsen in the western Oregon Coast Range," the researchers wrote in their conclusion. "They also corroborate that Swiss needle cast is associated with climate, especially long-term warming trends during the late winter and early spring."
Email or share this story:
| More
Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by Oregon State University.
Journal Reference:
1. Black et al. Impacts of Swiss needle cast on overstory Douglas-fir forests of the western Oregon Coast Range. Forest Ecology and Management, 2010; 259 (8): 1673 DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2010.01.047
What NOT to Put in the Bin
Ever wondered if that cryptic greasy paper plate could go in your recycling bin? Or would it really be a big deal if you threw in just one plastic bag?
It may seem simple to determine what doesn’t go in a recycling bin because of the labels, but unfortunately, it’s not that straightforward.
So, where do you begin to find out of the specific materials that shouldn’t go in a recycling bin? Listed below are some materials that you can pretty much guarantee should be kept out of your community’s recycling bins (unless of course the bin or the program specifically says that you can drop it in).
Shredded paper
When you shred paper with a paper shredder, you dramatically decrease the value of the paper because you shorten the length of the paper fiber, which is the source of value of the paper, according Eric Lombardi, the executive director of Eco-Cycle, one of the largest nonprofit recyclers in the U.S.
Nice white computer paper has a long, strong fiber, and every time you recycle that paper, the fiber gets shorter. If done properly, that computer paper can be recycled six to eight times.
However, if you shred that same crisp computer paper, you’re lucky if it can even be recycled once. Oftentimes, paper mills won’t accept shredded paper because of the difficulties it creates during the sorting process, says Lombardi.
“It gets mixed with everyone’s paper that day, and you put it in a giant pile at the recycling facility, there’s no way somebody is going to put ‘humpty-dumpty’ back together again,” says Lombardi.
If you have a document that is semi-confidential, rip it by hand three or four times, then throw it into the recycling bin. For documents that absolutely require shredding, locate a source in your area that specifically handles shredded paper for recycling. Some curbside programs may even accept your shredded paper if it is bagged separately.
Brightly colored paper
Believe it or not, bright paper can stop a whole batch of paper from being recycled. The idea behind this one is simple, explains Dan Baril, recycling program manager at the University of Colorado at Boulder, “It’s like the red sock in the white load sort-of-syndrome.” If you need to buy colored paper, avoid really rich colors, and opt for pastels. Paper mills can usually handle the lighter tones.
Read more
The Best DIY Paper Projects
http://earth911.com/news/2010/02/22/the-best-diy-paper-projects/
Juice boxes and milk cartons
This is a good opportunity to check with your municipality for the best recycling options. Some cities will accept milk and juice cartons for recycling with the paperboard stream. However, this is not true everywhere.
And while Eco-Cycle will accept milk and juice cartons, even with the plastic drinking-spot left in, they do not recycle milk and juice cartons found in non-refrigerated aisles used for packaging products such as soup and soy, rice or almond milk.
Last year, Tropicana and Waste Management launched a national initiative to increase the rate of juice and milk carton recycling. The initiative kicked off the long-term goal to increase beverage carton recycling nationwide, a program being promoted through the Carton Council.
Read more
Milk and Juice Carton Recycling Made Easy:
http://earth911.com/news/2009/04/10/milk-and-juice-carton-recycling-made-easy/
Paper coffee cups
Currently, paper coffee cups (also called hot cups) are accepted for recycling at only few communities in the U.S. The thin polyethylene plastic coating on the cups that helps prevent liquid leaking has made it difficult for most processing services to recycle the cups.
With about 58 billion paper cups used each year in the U.S., the best thing you can do is simply reduce your usage. Bring along a reusable mug or ask your barista if they offer mugs for serving if you’re staying in the store to sip your drink.
“At the end of the day, we wouldn’t have a problem with paper hot cups if everyone was going to the coffee shop with their reusable mug,” says Wendell Simonson, marketing-director of Eco-Products, Inc. a Boulder, Colo., based company that sells single-use products that can generally be recycled or composted.
Secondly, if your community offers composting, look for cups made with plant-based coating, which allows the cups to be composted.
Starbucks has a pilot program that is working to prove that hot cups, even with the plastic coating, can be integrated into the cardboard recycling stream.
Read more
Starbucks Pilots Coffee Cup Recycling Program
Pizza boxes, soiled paper plates, napkins
Many people assume that pizza boxes are recyclable. In fact, most boxes have recycling symbols on them and are traditionally made from corrugated cardboard. They are, in and of themselves, recyclable.
Pizza boxes that are tarnished with food, or any paper product that is stained with grease or food, are not recyclable – unless you remove the tainted portions. Photo: Flickr/massdistraction
However, what makes parts of them non-recyclable is the hot, tasty treat that comes inside them, specifically, the grease and cheese from pizza that soil the cardboard.
Food is one of the worst contaminants in the paper recycling process. Grease and oil are not as big of a problem for plastic, metal and glass, as those materials are recycled using a heat process.
But when paper products are recycled, they are mixed with water and turned into a slurry. Since we all know water and oil don’t mix, the issue is clear.
Grease from pizza boxes causes oil to form at the top of the slurry, and paper fibers cannot separate from oils during the pulping process.
Essentially, this contaminant causes the entire batch to be ruined. This is the reason that other food related items are non-recyclable (used paper plates, used napkins, used paper towels, etc).
Read more
The Pizza Box Mystery
Plastic bags and film
When left to the machines to sort the recyclable materials, “The one that causes the most heartburn is plastic bags,” says Lombardi. Plastic bags wrap themselves around the equipment, and as a result, the whole plant may have to shut down – expending time, energy and money. Repairmen often are hired to come in with knives to cut the plastic bags out of the guts of the machinery, Lombardi explains.
But this doesn’t mean you have to toss your bags into the trash. The good news is that most grocery stores throughout the U.S. now offer plastic bag recycling. In 2007, more than 830 million pounds of plastic bags and film were recycled nationwide, up 27 percent from 2005. Plastic bags can be made into dozens of new and useful products as well.
Read more
360: Recycling Plastic Bags
The wrong plastic resin
Plastics #1 and #2, made from polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), are the most commonly accepted plastics for recycling. However, just because a plastic is made from HDPE and PETE does not mean that it will be accepted by your community’s recycling program. Instead of just focusing on the plastic’s number, also look for the specific details provided by your community’s program, such as, “narrow-necked bottles” and “rigid plastics.”
Even with a recycling program that accepts plastics #1-7, it’s often the shape of the plastic product that determines whether or not it can be recycled in that specific program. The most important thing to remember is to check your program and pay attention to the type of plastic you’re recycling.
Read more
The Ultimate Plastic Breakdown
Bottle caps
Polypropylene (PP), or plastic #5, often makes up the plastic caps on bottles. So, what’s the big deal if the bottle is a #1 and the cap is a #5? They’re both plastic right? It’s not that simple.
It all comes down to the melting point, which has a difference of nearly 160 degrees Fahrenheit between the two. If a cap gets mixed in with bottles, the entire batch may be ruined because there is un-melted plastic in the mix.
A general rule of thumb is to remove all of the plastic caps and lids from your plastic bottles, jugs and tubs before recycling them. To check if your city accepts caps for recycling call or visit the Public Works or Department of Sanitation section of its Web site.
If you’re in an area where plastic cap recycling is not available, seek out retailers that accept them. Also, a few of companies are taking the lead when it comes to tackling the issue of recycling #5 plastics, such as Aveda.
Read more
360: Bottle Caps
Broken glass
Broken glass is recyclable, but it might not be reprocessed into new glass bottles. This is because when glass breaks, it can often be a challenge to separate it by color given the tiny pieces.
This glass can be used as an additive in fiberglass, tile and flooring, pavement or even turned back into sand to stop beach depletion. However, just because glass is crushed during recycling doesn’t mean you should do this prior to putting it in your bin. This could injure waste haulers or people sorting material at the MRF.
Read more
Your Top Glass Questions:
http://earth911.com/news/2010/03/08/your-top-glass-questions-answered/
What causes contamination
Knowing what goes in the bin is critical to ensuring the success of the recycling process. That’s because recycling actually happens when materials that would otherwise become waste are turned into valuable resources.
Putting the wrong materials into the recycling bin may ruin the entire batch. The material in a recycling container is taken to a material recovery facility (MRF), where the material is separated and processed for selling to companies that buy recycled materials for making products. The higher the quality of the recycled material, the more the companies will want to buy it, and the higher the price they’ll pay for it.
However, when you put materials into the recycling bin that shouldn’t be there, you may (at the very least) be slowing down the entire recycling process. Here’s what can happen when you put the wrong things in the recycling bin:
* Machines that handle the sorting of the materials can become damaged, which means that precious time, energy and money will be needed to repair the machines.
* If no equipment is available to do the job, more material in the bin that shouldn’t be there makes the job far more difficult and inefficient for workers sorting the material by hand.
* Also, it may inhibit the materials in the bin that should be there from turning into the highest quality materials possible, or it could even send everything in the bin straight to the landfill. It may be cliché, but the expression, “one bad apple could spoil the bunch” pretty much sums up the situation.
It may seem simple to determine what doesn’t go in a recycling bin because of the labels, but unfortunately, it’s not that straightforward.
So, where do you begin to find out of the specific materials that shouldn’t go in a recycling bin? Listed below are some materials that you can pretty much guarantee should be kept out of your community’s recycling bins (unless of course the bin or the program specifically says that you can drop it in).
Shredded paper
When you shred paper with a paper shredder, you dramatically decrease the value of the paper because you shorten the length of the paper fiber, which is the source of value of the paper, according Eric Lombardi, the executive director of Eco-Cycle, one of the largest nonprofit recyclers in the U.S.
Nice white computer paper has a long, strong fiber, and every time you recycle that paper, the fiber gets shorter. If done properly, that computer paper can be recycled six to eight times.
However, if you shred that same crisp computer paper, you’re lucky if it can even be recycled once. Oftentimes, paper mills won’t accept shredded paper because of the difficulties it creates during the sorting process, says Lombardi.
“It gets mixed with everyone’s paper that day, and you put it in a giant pile at the recycling facility, there’s no way somebody is going to put ‘humpty-dumpty’ back together again,” says Lombardi.
If you have a document that is semi-confidential, rip it by hand three or four times, then throw it into the recycling bin. For documents that absolutely require shredding, locate a source in your area that specifically handles shredded paper for recycling. Some curbside programs may even accept your shredded paper if it is bagged separately.
Brightly colored paper
Believe it or not, bright paper can stop a whole batch of paper from being recycled. The idea behind this one is simple, explains Dan Baril, recycling program manager at the University of Colorado at Boulder, “It’s like the red sock in the white load sort-of-syndrome.” If you need to buy colored paper, avoid really rich colors, and opt for pastels. Paper mills can usually handle the lighter tones.
Read more
The Best DIY Paper Projects
http://earth911.com/news/2010/02/22/the-best-diy-paper-projects/
Juice boxes and milk cartons
This is a good opportunity to check with your municipality for the best recycling options. Some cities will accept milk and juice cartons for recycling with the paperboard stream. However, this is not true everywhere.
And while Eco-Cycle will accept milk and juice cartons, even with the plastic drinking-spot left in, they do not recycle milk and juice cartons found in non-refrigerated aisles used for packaging products such as soup and soy, rice or almond milk.
Last year, Tropicana and Waste Management launched a national initiative to increase the rate of juice and milk carton recycling. The initiative kicked off the long-term goal to increase beverage carton recycling nationwide, a program being promoted through the Carton Council.
Read more
Milk and Juice Carton Recycling Made Easy:
http://earth911.com/news/2009/04/10/milk-and-juice-carton-recycling-made-easy/
Paper coffee cups
Currently, paper coffee cups (also called hot cups) are accepted for recycling at only few communities in the U.S. The thin polyethylene plastic coating on the cups that helps prevent liquid leaking has made it difficult for most processing services to recycle the cups.
With about 58 billion paper cups used each year in the U.S., the best thing you can do is simply reduce your usage. Bring along a reusable mug or ask your barista if they offer mugs for serving if you’re staying in the store to sip your drink.
“At the end of the day, we wouldn’t have a problem with paper hot cups if everyone was going to the coffee shop with their reusable mug,” says Wendell Simonson, marketing-director of Eco-Products, Inc. a Boulder, Colo., based company that sells single-use products that can generally be recycled or composted.
Secondly, if your community offers composting, look for cups made with plant-based coating, which allows the cups to be composted.
Starbucks has a pilot program that is working to prove that hot cups, even with the plastic coating, can be integrated into the cardboard recycling stream.
Read more
Starbucks Pilots Coffee Cup Recycling Program
Pizza boxes, soiled paper plates, napkins
Many people assume that pizza boxes are recyclable. In fact, most boxes have recycling symbols on them and are traditionally made from corrugated cardboard. They are, in and of themselves, recyclable.
Pizza boxes that are tarnished with food, or any paper product that is stained with grease or food, are not recyclable – unless you remove the tainted portions. Photo: Flickr/massdistraction
However, what makes parts of them non-recyclable is the hot, tasty treat that comes inside them, specifically, the grease and cheese from pizza that soil the cardboard.
Food is one of the worst contaminants in the paper recycling process. Grease and oil are not as big of a problem for plastic, metal and glass, as those materials are recycled using a heat process.
But when paper products are recycled, they are mixed with water and turned into a slurry. Since we all know water and oil don’t mix, the issue is clear.
Grease from pizza boxes causes oil to form at the top of the slurry, and paper fibers cannot separate from oils during the pulping process.
Essentially, this contaminant causes the entire batch to be ruined. This is the reason that other food related items are non-recyclable (used paper plates, used napkins, used paper towels, etc).
Read more
The Pizza Box Mystery
Plastic bags and film
When left to the machines to sort the recyclable materials, “The one that causes the most heartburn is plastic bags,” says Lombardi. Plastic bags wrap themselves around the equipment, and as a result, the whole plant may have to shut down – expending time, energy and money. Repairmen often are hired to come in with knives to cut the plastic bags out of the guts of the machinery, Lombardi explains.
But this doesn’t mean you have to toss your bags into the trash. The good news is that most grocery stores throughout the U.S. now offer plastic bag recycling. In 2007, more than 830 million pounds of plastic bags and film were recycled nationwide, up 27 percent from 2005. Plastic bags can be made into dozens of new and useful products as well.
Read more
360: Recycling Plastic Bags
The wrong plastic resin
Plastics #1 and #2, made from polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), are the most commonly accepted plastics for recycling. However, just because a plastic is made from HDPE and PETE does not mean that it will be accepted by your community’s recycling program. Instead of just focusing on the plastic’s number, also look for the specific details provided by your community’s program, such as, “narrow-necked bottles” and “rigid plastics.”
Even with a recycling program that accepts plastics #1-7, it’s often the shape of the plastic product that determines whether or not it can be recycled in that specific program. The most important thing to remember is to check your program and pay attention to the type of plastic you’re recycling.
Read more
The Ultimate Plastic Breakdown
Bottle caps
Polypropylene (PP), or plastic #5, often makes up the plastic caps on bottles. So, what’s the big deal if the bottle is a #1 and the cap is a #5? They’re both plastic right? It’s not that simple.
It all comes down to the melting point, which has a difference of nearly 160 degrees Fahrenheit between the two. If a cap gets mixed in with bottles, the entire batch may be ruined because there is un-melted plastic in the mix.
A general rule of thumb is to remove all of the plastic caps and lids from your plastic bottles, jugs and tubs before recycling them. To check if your city accepts caps for recycling call or visit the Public Works or Department of Sanitation section of its Web site.
If you’re in an area where plastic cap recycling is not available, seek out retailers that accept them. Also, a few of companies are taking the lead when it comes to tackling the issue of recycling #5 plastics, such as Aveda.
Read more
360: Bottle Caps
Broken glass
Broken glass is recyclable, but it might not be reprocessed into new glass bottles. This is because when glass breaks, it can often be a challenge to separate it by color given the tiny pieces.
This glass can be used as an additive in fiberglass, tile and flooring, pavement or even turned back into sand to stop beach depletion. However, just because glass is crushed during recycling doesn’t mean you should do this prior to putting it in your bin. This could injure waste haulers or people sorting material at the MRF.
Read more
Your Top Glass Questions:
http://earth911.com/news/2010/03/08/your-top-glass-questions-answered/
What causes contamination
Knowing what goes in the bin is critical to ensuring the success of the recycling process. That’s because recycling actually happens when materials that would otherwise become waste are turned into valuable resources.
Putting the wrong materials into the recycling bin may ruin the entire batch. The material in a recycling container is taken to a material recovery facility (MRF), where the material is separated and processed for selling to companies that buy recycled materials for making products. The higher the quality of the recycled material, the more the companies will want to buy it, and the higher the price they’ll pay for it.
However, when you put materials into the recycling bin that shouldn’t be there, you may (at the very least) be slowing down the entire recycling process. Here’s what can happen when you put the wrong things in the recycling bin:
* Machines that handle the sorting of the materials can become damaged, which means that precious time, energy and money will be needed to repair the machines.
* If no equipment is available to do the job, more material in the bin that shouldn’t be there makes the job far more difficult and inefficient for workers sorting the material by hand.
* Also, it may inhibit the materials in the bin that should be there from turning into the highest quality materials possible, or it could even send everything in the bin straight to the landfill. It may be cliché, but the expression, “one bad apple could spoil the bunch” pretty much sums up the situation.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Fighting for the beaches
Fighting for the beaches
Reclaiming land in Ghana
Written by Lynn
An ambitious sea defence scheme in Ghana could have been successful but the job is not finished and thousands of homes still flood annually.
In Keta, South Eastern Ghana, land was being eroded at up to 14metres a year. Since 1900, 100s of metres of land were lost including houses, churches and even the chief’s palace. The town on a narrow sand bar between the Atlantic and Keta Lagoon, which floods during the rainy season, was threatened from two sides.
In 1999 Ghana’s government secured a loan from the US Exim bank and started an US$84million scheme - a combination of groynes, a revetment and raising the level of the land near the lagoon. A sluice gate was built so flood water from the lagoon could run into the sea.
The four year project did not go as planned. The government was supposed to build 800 houses for people displaced by land reclamation work but only 230 families received new homes. A further 70 houses, in various states of completion, lie empty apparently because the contractors have not been paid. The remaining 500 homes have not materialised so people have moved away, are staying with family or living in temporary houses.
In the village of Vodza only a third of the land has been raised and thousands of residents continue to live in houses below the level of the lagoon, experiencing annual flooding so severe they visit neighbours by canoe.
Resident engineer, Rex Edeckor, is frustrated the work has not been completed. He said: “The government would love to build these places but there’s no money in the coffers.” He explained, despite flooding, the sluice gate has never been operated because of fears people will be swept out to sea and that fish will escape.
The sea defences are protecting the town from erosion but the government has not awarded a contract for their monitoring, so cannot benefit from the contractor’s 10-year guarantee. Within 15 years more sand will need to be pumped on to the beaches but Edeckor suspects the government has no money for this either.
Despite the millions spent, it seems this scheme can only be a temporary measure and if, or when, the sea level rises the work will have been largely in vain.
Edeckor predicted: “If sea level changes by one metre perhaps a third of Keta district will be flooded.”
To see more photos from Ghana click here --> http://www.atlanticrising.org/gallery/photo-view.asp?id=30
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Japanese policy mix needs strong shot of emissions trading
okyo, Japan: An effective policy approach to turn Japan into a low-carbon economy needs emissions trading at its heart, a WWF report has found.
The new research shows that a strong emissions trading scheme would have little impact on the Japanese economy, while allowing the Hatoyama government to effectively reach its ambitious targets for emission reductions.
“Japan has wasted years playing around with voluntary emissions trading, so it’s high time to finally get serious and design a strong scheme for this country, in order to regain our role as a competitive and modern economy”, said Naoyuki Yamagishi, Climate Programme Leader at WWF Japan.
At the centre of WWF’s new Policy Mix Proposal is an economy-wide cap and trade scheme, covering 60% of the country’s CO2 emissions and setting caps in line with Japan’s mid-term and long-term targets for emission cuts – 25% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 against 1990 levels.
The report includes comparative analysis of emissions trading schemes in Europe and America, suggesting that auctioning should be the preferred approach to allocating emission allowances to companies covered by the scheme, i.e. making polluters pay rather than giving them a free ride.
However, the report also looks at alternative allocation approaches for the initial phase of the scheme and other measures to assist polluting industries and major emitters in adjusting to operating in a carbon-constrained world.
“Our research shows that reaching the ambitious targets enshrined in the government’s Climate Bill is possible, and that a strong emissions trading scheme is key to making Japan fit for the low-carbon future”, said Yamagishi.
“Attempts by industry groups to weaken the targets in the Climate Bill or the emission trading scheme are essentially attempts to weaken Japan’s prospects to catch up with countries like Germany that are currently leading the race towards a low-carbon economy.”
The WWF report highlights that emissions trading approaches can also be applied to decarbonise non-industrial sectors which would not be covered by a cap and trade scheme. For example, it recommends reducing emissions from commercial buildings by strengthening a scheme developed for the Tokyo metropolitan area which could then be extended to include the rest of the country.
“We welcome the launch of Japan’s first real emissions trading scheme in Tokyo this week”, said Yamagishi.
“Tokyo’s example shows that the debate for or against emissions trading is over. Our entire country should now follow the capital’s lead to reap the benefits of going low-carbon. The question is no longer if we need such schemes, but how we can design them in optimal ways.”
Apart from emissions trading, the WWF report also outlines a range of other options for rapid decarbonisation in different sectors, e.g. reforming the fuel efficiency standards under the Top Runner scheme that’s aimed at cleaning up the transport sector, starting a nationwide “Energy Conservation Concierge” programme to reduce emissions from private households through advice on smart energy consumption, or introducing a carbon tax on fossil fuels Japan imports from overseas.
“Japan has been in a depression for a long time, and we urgently need to get this country back to dancing”, said Yamagishi.
“Our proposal is basically the perfect recipe for a low-carbon policy cocktail that would do the trick. And the best thing is: it comes almost for free.”
For further information:
Naoyuki Yamagishi, Leader, Climate Programme WWF Japan, m: +819064711432, p: +81337693509, e: yamagishi@wwf.or.jp; Masako Konishi, Project Leader, Climate Change Programme, WWF Japan, p: +81337693509, e: konishi@wwf.or.jp
Notes to editors:
The Policy Mix Proposal was written by WWF Japan and a group of scientists from various Japanese universities led by Professor Toru Morotomi of Kyoto University. An English translation of the report’s summary will be available by the end of April. The Japanese version of the report can be found at: http://www.wwf.or.jp/torihiki/
The Basic Bill on Measures to Prevent Global Warming was adopted by the Japanese cabinet on 12 March and includes the goals to cut emissions 25% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. It highlights emissions trading as a key policy to make these emission cuts reality. The bill is going to be discussed in the Diet (the Japanese parliament) over the coming months, with a vote expected by June when the current Diet session closes.
In addition to this debate about a legislative "framework", there are also ongoing discussions led by the Ministry of Environment on what is referred to as the "roadmap", dealing with the question how exactly the 25% emission reduction target for 2020 is going to be reached. In parallel to that, discussion on a so called "Energy Basic Plan" led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry focus on ideas for Japan’s energy strategy towards 2030. Both processes are aiming at reaching conclusion by June as well. One key aspect in these processes is the design of the Japanese emissions trading scheme and carbon tax approach. WWF’s Policy Mix Proposal is meant as a concrete input to these multiple discussion processes on framework and substance at government and parliamentary level.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is launching its emissions trading scheme on 1 April. This will be the first real emissions scheme trading that gets implemented in Japan, after previous national governments only experimented with voluntary schemes.
The new research shows that a strong emissions trading scheme would have little impact on the Japanese economy, while allowing the Hatoyama government to effectively reach its ambitious targets for emission reductions.
“Japan has wasted years playing around with voluntary emissions trading, so it’s high time to finally get serious and design a strong scheme for this country, in order to regain our role as a competitive and modern economy”, said Naoyuki Yamagishi, Climate Programme Leader at WWF Japan.
At the centre of WWF’s new Policy Mix Proposal is an economy-wide cap and trade scheme, covering 60% of the country’s CO2 emissions and setting caps in line with Japan’s mid-term and long-term targets for emission cuts – 25% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 against 1990 levels.
The report includes comparative analysis of emissions trading schemes in Europe and America, suggesting that auctioning should be the preferred approach to allocating emission allowances to companies covered by the scheme, i.e. making polluters pay rather than giving them a free ride.
However, the report also looks at alternative allocation approaches for the initial phase of the scheme and other measures to assist polluting industries and major emitters in adjusting to operating in a carbon-constrained world.
“Our research shows that reaching the ambitious targets enshrined in the government’s Climate Bill is possible, and that a strong emissions trading scheme is key to making Japan fit for the low-carbon future”, said Yamagishi.
“Attempts by industry groups to weaken the targets in the Climate Bill or the emission trading scheme are essentially attempts to weaken Japan’s prospects to catch up with countries like Germany that are currently leading the race towards a low-carbon economy.”
The WWF report highlights that emissions trading approaches can also be applied to decarbonise non-industrial sectors which would not be covered by a cap and trade scheme. For example, it recommends reducing emissions from commercial buildings by strengthening a scheme developed for the Tokyo metropolitan area which could then be extended to include the rest of the country.
“We welcome the launch of Japan’s first real emissions trading scheme in Tokyo this week”, said Yamagishi.
“Tokyo’s example shows that the debate for or against emissions trading is over. Our entire country should now follow the capital’s lead to reap the benefits of going low-carbon. The question is no longer if we need such schemes, but how we can design them in optimal ways.”
Apart from emissions trading, the WWF report also outlines a range of other options for rapid decarbonisation in different sectors, e.g. reforming the fuel efficiency standards under the Top Runner scheme that’s aimed at cleaning up the transport sector, starting a nationwide “Energy Conservation Concierge” programme to reduce emissions from private households through advice on smart energy consumption, or introducing a carbon tax on fossil fuels Japan imports from overseas.
“Japan has been in a depression for a long time, and we urgently need to get this country back to dancing”, said Yamagishi.
“Our proposal is basically the perfect recipe for a low-carbon policy cocktail that would do the trick. And the best thing is: it comes almost for free.”
For further information:
Naoyuki Yamagishi, Leader, Climate Programme WWF Japan, m: +819064711432, p: +81337693509, e: yamagishi@wwf.or.jp; Masako Konishi, Project Leader, Climate Change Programme, WWF Japan, p: +81337693509, e: konishi@wwf.or.jp
Notes to editors:
The Policy Mix Proposal was written by WWF Japan and a group of scientists from various Japanese universities led by Professor Toru Morotomi of Kyoto University. An English translation of the report’s summary will be available by the end of April. The Japanese version of the report can be found at: http://www.wwf.or.jp/torihiki/
The Basic Bill on Measures to Prevent Global Warming was adopted by the Japanese cabinet on 12 March and includes the goals to cut emissions 25% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. It highlights emissions trading as a key policy to make these emission cuts reality. The bill is going to be discussed in the Diet (the Japanese parliament) over the coming months, with a vote expected by June when the current Diet session closes.
In addition to this debate about a legislative "framework", there are also ongoing discussions led by the Ministry of Environment on what is referred to as the "roadmap", dealing with the question how exactly the 25% emission reduction target for 2020 is going to be reached. In parallel to that, discussion on a so called "Energy Basic Plan" led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry focus on ideas for Japan’s energy strategy towards 2030. Both processes are aiming at reaching conclusion by June as well. One key aspect in these processes is the design of the Japanese emissions trading scheme and carbon tax approach. WWF’s Policy Mix Proposal is meant as a concrete input to these multiple discussion processes on framework and substance at government and parliamentary level.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is launching its emissions trading scheme on 1 April. This will be the first real emissions scheme trading that gets implemented in Japan, after previous national governments only experimented with voluntary schemes.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
We’ve Got Paper Cups—Why not Bottles?
Hey, look at this cool paper bottle from BrandImage! It may be leading the revolution against plastic.
The “forever in a landfill” environmentalist slogan is quickly becoming cliché and lost on the general public. Each day, Americans continue to throw out 60 million plastic bottles. Only 14% of which actually get recycled. So, forget landfill slogans. We aren’t getting it done.
plastic1Try this on for size: there exists an island of garbage out in the Pacific Ocean the size of Texas? Texas! Due to some interestingly dull oceanographic factors, nearly all of the refuse jettisoned into the Pacific meanders its way over to become trapped in the same area. Also, plastic is incapable of degrading. Not only has this resulted in a pile of trash larger than I am even capable of comprehending, but it will apparently never go away. Ever. Plastic does, however, break down physically into smaller and smaller bits until it resembles tasty krill. Krill is what a very large portion of sea life eats. So, you see the problem.
Plastic is an amazing substance that makes our activities more convenient and saves perhaps billions of lives through food packaging and medical equipment. Plastic has a variety of wonderful properties and high up on that list is the fact that it doesn’t break down. It doesn’t whither or turn bad. It doesn’t chemically react with food or medicine or anything really. But there is the problem. A substance that cannot be broken down by any environmental exposure and cannot be eaten by anything will fill its little nook in the world FOREVER.
A few decades of intense marketing for plastic made it out to be the end-all miracle material (which, it may be), but many great designers and high-end businesses are finally breaking out of that rut and embracing paper.
We are beginning to realize again that there is no loss of class in paper products. Even glass is seeing a packaging decline. Many fine mid-range wine makers have begun adopting boxes in addition to or instead of glass bottles.
The 360 Paper Bottle, for example, is a far more sustainable approach to water bottles and packaging in general. It is totally recyclable paper made from 100% renewable resources. The lining uses biodegradable PLA film. The end result is entirely food-grade material. The 360 Paper Bottle meets all criteria for all liquid categories and is sturdy enough for a variety of applications and multiple reuse. The paper bottle design has had a good critical and market response, including having received an IDEA (International Design Excellence Award) for this design.
Eco experts and enthusiasts will always stress the value of reusing, so keep in mind that filling the same bottle every day is far superior an option than even the most environmental paper alternative. However, we still applaud this great paper design and hope that it sparks the about-face of old industry packaging standards across the board. If we can get all packaging to be made from eco-friendly materials in the first place, then the collective hazardous waste and energy consumption could go down dramatically.
The “forever in a landfill” environmentalist slogan is quickly becoming cliché and lost on the general public. Each day, Americans continue to throw out 60 million plastic bottles. Only 14% of which actually get recycled. So, forget landfill slogans. We aren’t getting it done.
plastic1Try this on for size: there exists an island of garbage out in the Pacific Ocean the size of Texas? Texas! Due to some interestingly dull oceanographic factors, nearly all of the refuse jettisoned into the Pacific meanders its way over to become trapped in the same area. Also, plastic is incapable of degrading. Not only has this resulted in a pile of trash larger than I am even capable of comprehending, but it will apparently never go away. Ever. Plastic does, however, break down physically into smaller and smaller bits until it resembles tasty krill. Krill is what a very large portion of sea life eats. So, you see the problem.
Plastic is an amazing substance that makes our activities more convenient and saves perhaps billions of lives through food packaging and medical equipment. Plastic has a variety of wonderful properties and high up on that list is the fact that it doesn’t break down. It doesn’t whither or turn bad. It doesn’t chemically react with food or medicine or anything really. But there is the problem. A substance that cannot be broken down by any environmental exposure and cannot be eaten by anything will fill its little nook in the world FOREVER.
A few decades of intense marketing for plastic made it out to be the end-all miracle material (which, it may be), but many great designers and high-end businesses are finally breaking out of that rut and embracing paper.
We are beginning to realize again that there is no loss of class in paper products. Even glass is seeing a packaging decline. Many fine mid-range wine makers have begun adopting boxes in addition to or instead of glass bottles.
The 360 Paper Bottle, for example, is a far more sustainable approach to water bottles and packaging in general. It is totally recyclable paper made from 100% renewable resources. The lining uses biodegradable PLA film. The end result is entirely food-grade material. The 360 Paper Bottle meets all criteria for all liquid categories and is sturdy enough for a variety of applications and multiple reuse. The paper bottle design has had a good critical and market response, including having received an IDEA (International Design Excellence Award) for this design.
Eco experts and enthusiasts will always stress the value of reusing, so keep in mind that filling the same bottle every day is far superior an option than even the most environmental paper alternative. However, we still applaud this great paper design and hope that it sparks the about-face of old industry packaging standards across the board. If we can get all packaging to be made from eco-friendly materials in the first place, then the collective hazardous waste and energy consumption could go down dramatically.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
When Winter Returns, Cut Energy While Staying Warm
Using a small and efficient space heater instead of central heating can save a lot of money by allowing you to heat localized areas while appropriately neglecting others. There is no point in heating your living room when you are sleeping is there? Well, maybe you’ve been kicked out of the bedroom, but that advice column is for another website. The point is that eliminating the energy wasted on unused space is a great way to cut utility bills and, more importantly, save electricity.
A small unit mounted on wheels can be easily moved from room to room along with you while still being powerful enough to heat large areas. For example, the Honeywell HZ-315 weighs just under 3.5 pounds but can pump out 1,500 watts of efficiently distributed heat. This model also costs only $25 (USD). Honeywell space heaters come well recommended but really are indicative of what is available in general. Your local home supply store should have a variety of makes and models that are roughly the same power to cost ratio.
With the central heating turned off and your cozy space heater cranked up, you’ll be saving utility money every second you sleep. I estimate that your space heater will pay for itself after a single month of winter use.
A small unit mounted on wheels can be easily moved from room to room along with you while still being powerful enough to heat large areas. For example, the Honeywell HZ-315 weighs just under 3.5 pounds but can pump out 1,500 watts of efficiently distributed heat. This model also costs only $25 (USD). Honeywell space heaters come well recommended but really are indicative of what is available in general. Your local home supply store should have a variety of makes and models that are roughly the same power to cost ratio.
With the central heating turned off and your cozy space heater cranked up, you’ll be saving utility money every second you sleep. I estimate that your space heater will pay for itself after a single month of winter use.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Pumping the Heat Without All the Energy
I’ve had enough with the ebb and flow of the world’s volatile oil markets, causing the price of home heating oil to bounce around like a tweety bird. There is nothing worse than being faced with purchasing $4 a gallon heating oil or freezing to death. At that price -10 degrees becomes sweater weather.
As a result, I’ve taken a completely different approach to heating my house this year. Wood burning stove! That’s right, Cave man style. A cast iron box, a few cords of firewood, and I’m ready for another never ending war in the Middle East, record setting hurricane season, and pirates from Ethiopia.
Wood burning stoves are great options for many reasons. But there are a few negatives: Dispersing the heat from the stove throughout a house can be difficult, noisy, and potentially expensive with the cost of running an electric fan. The folks at Caframo have created a heat powered stove fan. “The Ecofan generates its own electricity through difference in temperature without the use of batteries or plugs. The base of the fan rests on the top of your gas, wood, or oil burning iron stove where the heat temperatures must exceed 150°F. As the base heats up, the difference in temperature between the hot base and cool top of the fan creates static electricity which is directed to the small motor that powers the blades.”
These fans are little, but they can generate up to 150 CFM of moving air. Not bad for being 9 inches tall, 4 inches wide and virtually silent while operating. They come with a few different finishes to match your home décor.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Daimler Chrysler To Release Emission Free Smart Car
Zero to 60MPH in 6.5 seconds, a sleek design that’s compact but stylish and plenty of torque – no, we’re not talking about the newest Porsche. This is the Daimler Smart Ed, a zero emissions, super eco-friendly smart car.
Refilling Smart Car The Smart Ed features a range of 71 miles using a Tesla provided 14 Kwh lithium-ion battery, while the cars 30kW electric motor pushes out an impressive 120 Newton metres of torque.
Originally the Smart Ed was set for an Early 2010 release, now Daimler has announced that their Hambach, France plant will have them ready to go by November 2009.
Smart Car Guage
Unfortunately due to extensive testing that still needs to be completed throughout European cities they won’t be readily “available to anyone interested” until 2012. Of course by 2012 I’m pretty sure 71 miles on a single charge will seem ridiculously out of touch with current models available at that time.
Refilling Smart Car The Smart Ed features a range of 71 miles using a Tesla provided 14 Kwh lithium-ion battery, while the cars 30kW electric motor pushes out an impressive 120 Newton metres of torque.
Originally the Smart Ed was set for an Early 2010 release, now Daimler has announced that their Hambach, France plant will have them ready to go by November 2009.
Smart Car Guage
Unfortunately due to extensive testing that still needs to be completed throughout European cities they won’t be readily “available to anyone interested” until 2012. Of course by 2012 I’m pretty sure 71 miles on a single charge will seem ridiculously out of touch with current models available at that time.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Seasons are changing
Rapid temperature changes affect the seasons, causing variations in season length.
Changes such as shorter winters can lead to mismatches between key elements in an ecosystem, such as feeding periods for young birds and availability of worms or insects for food. It also impacts on farmers’ growing seasons.
Climatic records put together with long-term records of flowering and nesting times show clear warming trends.
In Britain flowering time and leaf-break records date back to 1736, thus providing solid evidence of climate-related changes. Long-term trends towards earlier bird breeding, earlier spring migrant arrival and later autumn departure dates have been observed in North America, along with changes in migratory patterns in Europe.
Changes such as shorter winters can lead to mismatches between key elements in an ecosystem, such as feeding periods for young birds and availability of worms or insects for food. It also impacts on farmers’ growing seasons.
Climatic records put together with long-term records of flowering and nesting times show clear warming trends.
In Britain flowering time and leaf-break records date back to 1736, thus providing solid evidence of climate-related changes. Long-term trends towards earlier bird breeding, earlier spring migrant arrival and later autumn departure dates have been observed in North America, along with changes in migratory patterns in Europe.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
The Homeowner’s Guide to Alternative Energy
The Homeowner’s Guide to Alternative Energy
Do you ever watch the sun hitting your house, or the feel the wind rushing at your windows, and wonder just how hard it would be to harness all that energy?
The timing has never been better for average consumers to start using alternative energy in their own homes. The technology is better than ever, more and more contractors specialize in installing green energy generators in homes and state and federal money will often help you pay for it.
The key is to find out what type of green energy is right for you.
“When you look at alternative energy choices for a home, the choice has a lot to do with geography, where in the country you are,” said P.J. Stafford, co-founder of the eco-consulting firm Green Irene. “Your cost per kilowatt you generate is going to vary significantly from state to state.” For example, solar power in Minneapolis may not be a good choice, but in Arizona it’s a no-brainer.
Since sorting through the options can be confusing, many consumers hire consultants to visit their homes and offer customized advice. Green Irene, for example, has 150 consultants in 37 states who help customers complete “Green Home Makeovers” to save money and energy.
Since you might not be quite ready to call in a professional, here are some basics for getting the ball rolling.
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have adopted Renewable Energy Standards, which require that a certain percentage of all of their power comes from renewable sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass. - Lcv.org
29 states, including D.C., have adopted Renewable Energy Standards, which require a certain percentage of their power to come from renewable sources. - Lcv.org
1. Greening the Grid
“The first step is, people should opt for green power from their existing utility,” Stafford recommended. For an added price, you can often choose to buy green energy over conventionally-derived energy from your electricity utility company. In general, this option costs a couple cents more per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity you buy.
The average U.S. monthly household uses 938 kWh per month, so if the household opted to replace 100 percent of its energy with green energy, at a 2 cents-per-kWh premium, its monthly electricity bill would cost about $20 more.
But since you usually pay a flat rate for, say, wind power, and the price of oil and coal power can fluctuate throughout the year, consumers may end up saving money if conventional energy prices rise. And you’ll be contributing to the solution of greening the grid.
2. Do it Yourself
Another option is to install the actual generating equipment on your property to create green energy, rather than simply buy it. Building a wind turbine in your yard or installing solar panels on your roof requires a larger investment to begin with, but can end up saving more money in the long run, since you’ll no longer have to purchase as much energy from utilities.
Plus, many states offer tax incentives, rebates and subsidies to encourage consumers to install alternative energy technology. The rates vary largely from state-to-state, and from energy technology to energy technology. For example, sunnier states often provide greater rebates for solar panels than cloudier states where the technology is less useful.
3. Solar
In many areas of the U.S., solar power is the most practical option. Installing an average 5 kW solar panel system in New York, for example, might total about $60,000. However, the state offers such generous rebates and tax credits, that the job will actually cost only about $11,000.
“There’s no better deal right now in the country,” said Robert Covello, a certified solar panel installer for Mercury Solar Systems of New Rochelle, NY. “If you look at the numbers, the payback is like five years. It’s like stealing.”
Since the entire system pays for itself in as little as five years, it sounds surprising that most residents of New York haven’t installed solar panels yet. “Why are people not doing it? Because they don’t know, that’s part of the problem,” Covello said. However, the news of the deal is spreading. Covello’s business has been doubling ever year recently. “It’s the only business where people call me up and say, ‘Thank you,’ because three months later they are getting virtually no electric bill.”
Companies like Wells Fargo, Pepsico and Starbucks have made significant investments in renewable energy in various forms. Why not try it on your home? - Commercialenergy.net
Companies like Wells Fargo, Pepsico and Starbucks have made significant investments in renewable energy. Why not try it for yourself? - Commercialenergy.net
4. Wind
Wind power is also a great option for many homes.
“Our most active markets are typically on the coasts,” said Scott Merrick of the Bergey WindPower company, based in Norman, Okla., which installs small wind turbines for homes and businesses around the country. “There you have incredibly high utility rates, good wind resources and large subsidies.” In situations like these, a typical 10 kW wind turbine system, that costs between $55,000 to $67,000 to install, will usually pay for itself in six to eight years.
Surprisingly, wind power isn’t as popular in places like Oklahoma, even though the Plain States get tons of wind. That’s because electricity prices are so low anyway, most people aren’t motivated to switch over to green energy. In areas where energy is cheaper, the same 10 kW wind system can take as much as 12 years to pay back its cost.
Those planning to install wind power generators also must contend with zoning laws and neighbors that don’t want the eyesore of a turbine “souring” their view. “We typically recommend people have about an acre of space,” Merrick said.
5. Geothermal
Geothermal energy, or energy generated from the heat stored in the ground, is another up-and-coming alternative energy source. To harness this energy, consumers can install a heat pump in their yards to transfer heat from the ground to the house in the winter time, and divert heat from the house to the ground during the summer. It can also be used to heat water. The systems start at around $15,000, and can usually pay for themselves after four to six years.
“Once you install the unit, it’s going to save about 40 to 60 percent on your monthly heating and cooling bill,” said Bridgette Oliver, marketing communications manager for ClimateMaster, a manufacturer of geothermal heat pumps. “It’s using energy from the Earth that’s already there, that’s free.”
Unlike solar and wind energy, Oliver said geothermal energy works about equally well all over the country. “You just have to have dirt,” she said.
6. Cutting Down on Energy
Ultimately, installing alternative energy generators in your home, or buying green power from your utility can do a lot of good, and even save you money in the long-term. But just as important, experts say, is reducing your energy usage in the first place. This makes it easier to meet your energy needs with alternative sources, and is the easiest way to go green right now.
“The best thing you can do today is not put in solar panels, but do some things to reduce the electric and gas usage in your home,” said Green Irene’s Stafford. “The best energy [people] can generate is saving the 30 to 40 percent of energy they’re wasting in their own house right now.” Insulating your house, using compact fluorescent light bulbs and switching off appliances and electrical outlets that aren’t in use is a great place to start.
Do you ever watch the sun hitting your house, or the feel the wind rushing at your windows, and wonder just how hard it would be to harness all that energy?
The timing has never been better for average consumers to start using alternative energy in their own homes. The technology is better than ever, more and more contractors specialize in installing green energy generators in homes and state and federal money will often help you pay for it.
The key is to find out what type of green energy is right for you.
“When you look at alternative energy choices for a home, the choice has a lot to do with geography, where in the country you are,” said P.J. Stafford, co-founder of the eco-consulting firm Green Irene. “Your cost per kilowatt you generate is going to vary significantly from state to state.” For example, solar power in Minneapolis may not be a good choice, but in Arizona it’s a no-brainer.
Since sorting through the options can be confusing, many consumers hire consultants to visit their homes and offer customized advice. Green Irene, for example, has 150 consultants in 37 states who help customers complete “Green Home Makeovers” to save money and energy.
Since you might not be quite ready to call in a professional, here are some basics for getting the ball rolling.
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have adopted Renewable Energy Standards, which require that a certain percentage of all of their power comes from renewable sources, such as solar, wind, geothermal and biomass. - Lcv.org
29 states, including D.C., have adopted Renewable Energy Standards, which require a certain percentage of their power to come from renewable sources. - Lcv.org
1. Greening the Grid
“The first step is, people should opt for green power from their existing utility,” Stafford recommended. For an added price, you can often choose to buy green energy over conventionally-derived energy from your electricity utility company. In general, this option costs a couple cents more per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity you buy.
The average U.S. monthly household uses 938 kWh per month, so if the household opted to replace 100 percent of its energy with green energy, at a 2 cents-per-kWh premium, its monthly electricity bill would cost about $20 more.
But since you usually pay a flat rate for, say, wind power, and the price of oil and coal power can fluctuate throughout the year, consumers may end up saving money if conventional energy prices rise. And you’ll be contributing to the solution of greening the grid.
2. Do it Yourself
Another option is to install the actual generating equipment on your property to create green energy, rather than simply buy it. Building a wind turbine in your yard or installing solar panels on your roof requires a larger investment to begin with, but can end up saving more money in the long run, since you’ll no longer have to purchase as much energy from utilities.
Plus, many states offer tax incentives, rebates and subsidies to encourage consumers to install alternative energy technology. The rates vary largely from state-to-state, and from energy technology to energy technology. For example, sunnier states often provide greater rebates for solar panels than cloudier states where the technology is less useful.
3. Solar
In many areas of the U.S., solar power is the most practical option. Installing an average 5 kW solar panel system in New York, for example, might total about $60,000. However, the state offers such generous rebates and tax credits, that the job will actually cost only about $11,000.
“There’s no better deal right now in the country,” said Robert Covello, a certified solar panel installer for Mercury Solar Systems of New Rochelle, NY. “If you look at the numbers, the payback is like five years. It’s like stealing.”
Since the entire system pays for itself in as little as five years, it sounds surprising that most residents of New York haven’t installed solar panels yet. “Why are people not doing it? Because they don’t know, that’s part of the problem,” Covello said. However, the news of the deal is spreading. Covello’s business has been doubling ever year recently. “It’s the only business where people call me up and say, ‘Thank you,’ because three months later they are getting virtually no electric bill.”
Companies like Wells Fargo, Pepsico and Starbucks have made significant investments in renewable energy in various forms. Why not try it on your home? - Commercialenergy.net
Companies like Wells Fargo, Pepsico and Starbucks have made significant investments in renewable energy. Why not try it for yourself? - Commercialenergy.net
4. Wind
Wind power is also a great option for many homes.
“Our most active markets are typically on the coasts,” said Scott Merrick of the Bergey WindPower company, based in Norman, Okla., which installs small wind turbines for homes and businesses around the country. “There you have incredibly high utility rates, good wind resources and large subsidies.” In situations like these, a typical 10 kW wind turbine system, that costs between $55,000 to $67,000 to install, will usually pay for itself in six to eight years.
Surprisingly, wind power isn’t as popular in places like Oklahoma, even though the Plain States get tons of wind. That’s because electricity prices are so low anyway, most people aren’t motivated to switch over to green energy. In areas where energy is cheaper, the same 10 kW wind system can take as much as 12 years to pay back its cost.
Those planning to install wind power generators also must contend with zoning laws and neighbors that don’t want the eyesore of a turbine “souring” their view. “We typically recommend people have about an acre of space,” Merrick said.
5. Geothermal
Geothermal energy, or energy generated from the heat stored in the ground, is another up-and-coming alternative energy source. To harness this energy, consumers can install a heat pump in their yards to transfer heat from the ground to the house in the winter time, and divert heat from the house to the ground during the summer. It can also be used to heat water. The systems start at around $15,000, and can usually pay for themselves after four to six years.
“Once you install the unit, it’s going to save about 40 to 60 percent on your monthly heating and cooling bill,” said Bridgette Oliver, marketing communications manager for ClimateMaster, a manufacturer of geothermal heat pumps. “It’s using energy from the Earth that’s already there, that’s free.”
Unlike solar and wind energy, Oliver said geothermal energy works about equally well all over the country. “You just have to have dirt,” she said.
6. Cutting Down on Energy
Ultimately, installing alternative energy generators in your home, or buying green power from your utility can do a lot of good, and even save you money in the long-term. But just as important, experts say, is reducing your energy usage in the first place. This makes it easier to meet your energy needs with alternative sources, and is the easiest way to go green right now.
“The best thing you can do today is not put in solar panels, but do some things to reduce the electric and gas usage in your home,” said Green Irene’s Stafford. “The best energy [people] can generate is saving the 30 to 40 percent of energy they’re wasting in their own house right now.” Insulating your house, using compact fluorescent light bulbs and switching off appliances and electrical outlets that aren’t in use is a great place to start.
Monday, March 1, 2010
The Net Zero Energy Home
How does a $0 electric bill sound? Read on to find out about homes that earn their keep.
A net zero energy home produces its own electric power and is efficient enough that it actually produces more than it consumes, resulting in no overall electric cost. These models of efficiency are not just limited to new construction. Older buildings can often be upgraded to peak efficiency. With the addition of renewables, they become net zero energy buildings.
In the middle of winter, even the most efficient home will consume more energy than it can produce from a rooftop solar system. This is where the grid intertie comes into play. The net zero energy home pulls from the grid at times of low energy production and pours energy back into the grid during times of high production.
Many of the net zero energy homes touted in the media top $1 million dollars, leading the rest of us to believe that we’ll just need to slog along with our polluting energy sources. Not so. Ideal Homes of Norman, Oklahoma, constructed a zero energy home featuring geothermal energy and photovoltaics for under $200,000. Net zero energy is far more about smart efficiency and balance than it is about the price tag.
A net zero energy home doesn’t have to have all the sexiest, trendiest green products available. In fact, it can be quite simple. The first step in turning an ordinary home into a Net Zero Energy home is tightening up–mainly through insulation and high quality windows and doors. Then the focus is turned on energy efficiency within the home, namely appliances and lighting. The third step is the addition of renewables, like solar electric and hot water systems.
You can take your first step toward net zero efficiency today by doing something as simple as insulating your hot water tank and making sure all your lightbulbs are compact fluorescent. A new energy-efficient refrigerator is far cheaper than a photovoltaic system but will have a significant and immediate impact on your electric consumption. Incremental steps over time will yield an impressive cumulative effect.
What if you’re designing a new home? Keep in mind the benefits of passive solar orientation and thermal mass. Thermal mass like a concrete slab or masonry stove will keep your interior temperature stable, while southern exposure allows you to make the most of the sun’s heat and light. Design your own or find plans at http://www.zero-energyplans.com.
A net zero energy home produces its own electric power and is efficient enough that it actually produces more than it consumes, resulting in no overall electric cost. These models of efficiency are not just limited to new construction. Older buildings can often be upgraded to peak efficiency. With the addition of renewables, they become net zero energy buildings.
In the middle of winter, even the most efficient home will consume more energy than it can produce from a rooftop solar system. This is where the grid intertie comes into play. The net zero energy home pulls from the grid at times of low energy production and pours energy back into the grid during times of high production.
Many of the net zero energy homes touted in the media top $1 million dollars, leading the rest of us to believe that we’ll just need to slog along with our polluting energy sources. Not so. Ideal Homes of Norman, Oklahoma, constructed a zero energy home featuring geothermal energy and photovoltaics for under $200,000. Net zero energy is far more about smart efficiency and balance than it is about the price tag.
A net zero energy home doesn’t have to have all the sexiest, trendiest green products available. In fact, it can be quite simple. The first step in turning an ordinary home into a Net Zero Energy home is tightening up–mainly through insulation and high quality windows and doors. Then the focus is turned on energy efficiency within the home, namely appliances and lighting. The third step is the addition of renewables, like solar electric and hot water systems.
You can take your first step toward net zero efficiency today by doing something as simple as insulating your hot water tank and making sure all your lightbulbs are compact fluorescent. A new energy-efficient refrigerator is far cheaper than a photovoltaic system but will have a significant and immediate impact on your electric consumption. Incremental steps over time will yield an impressive cumulative effect.
What if you’re designing a new home? Keep in mind the benefits of passive solar orientation and thermal mass. Thermal mass like a concrete slab or masonry stove will keep your interior temperature stable, while southern exposure allows you to make the most of the sun’s heat and light. Design your own or find plans at http://www.zero-energyplans.com.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Three Types of Roof Garden
Roof gardens are built for both their aesthetic and their functional values. A roof garden can provide temperature control, architectural enhancement, hydrological benefits, and of course food. It can also serve as a habitat for wildlife. There are a number of advantages when you plant a roof garden. It can cool the room below it, especially during a hot day. During winter, it provides insulation against the cold. In Germany, roof gardens are required to retain water from evaporating. It will prevent flash floods from occurring. There are three basic types of roof garden. They differ according to the maintenance they require, the type of plants the roof will support and the depth of the soil. The three types of roof gardens are:
Extensive Roof Garden
This is the easiest type of roof garden to maintain because it uses shallow soil. Extensive roof gardens are lightweight, and ideal for the roofs on garages, sheds, and other small extensions of the home. Although it’s easy to maintain this type of roof garden, it has the least aesthetic value, and the number of plants that can grow on it is quite limited. Examples of plants you can grow in an extensive roof garden are lichens and mosses. Lichens are symbiotic organisms that can colonize on surfaces such as glass, metal and plastic. Mosses are small green plants that do not require large quantities of nutrients for survival. They cling on stone and walls and, can live off of rainwater alone.
Semi-extensive Roof Garden
This type of roof garden has deeper soil, and can support a larger variety of plants. It can therefore be decorated more easily than the extensive roof garden. The soil is heavier in a semi-extensive roof garden, and requires a stronger structure in order to support it. One could plant sedums in this type of garden. These are succulents that can store water in their tissues. That means you won’t need to go out and water them every day – but during times of drought, they could die and turn patchy if not properly cared for. On a semi-extensive roof garden, you can also plant wildflowers that can grow without any maintenance. roof-garden
Intensive Roof Garden
This type of roof garden can support trees and elaborate arrangements. Intensive roof gardens require large, strong structures to support them. Most homes are not suitable for this type of roof garden, but they can be found on concrete buildings and on top of roof decks. There’s no limit to what you can plant in an intensive roof garden, so long as the structure of the building can support the weight.
Vegetation Blankets
Another interesting option for green roofing is the use of Vegetation Blankets. For more information, see Vegetation for Roof and Ground Covering. Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wengs/ / CC BY 2.0
Extensive Roof Garden
This is the easiest type of roof garden to maintain because it uses shallow soil. Extensive roof gardens are lightweight, and ideal for the roofs on garages, sheds, and other small extensions of the home. Although it’s easy to maintain this type of roof garden, it has the least aesthetic value, and the number of plants that can grow on it is quite limited. Examples of plants you can grow in an extensive roof garden are lichens and mosses. Lichens are symbiotic organisms that can colonize on surfaces such as glass, metal and plastic. Mosses are small green plants that do not require large quantities of nutrients for survival. They cling on stone and walls and, can live off of rainwater alone.
Semi-extensive Roof Garden
This type of roof garden has deeper soil, and can support a larger variety of plants. It can therefore be decorated more easily than the extensive roof garden. The soil is heavier in a semi-extensive roof garden, and requires a stronger structure in order to support it. One could plant sedums in this type of garden. These are succulents that can store water in their tissues. That means you won’t need to go out and water them every day – but during times of drought, they could die and turn patchy if not properly cared for. On a semi-extensive roof garden, you can also plant wildflowers that can grow without any maintenance. roof-garden
Intensive Roof Garden
This type of roof garden can support trees and elaborate arrangements. Intensive roof gardens require large, strong structures to support them. Most homes are not suitable for this type of roof garden, but they can be found on concrete buildings and on top of roof decks. There’s no limit to what you can plant in an intensive roof garden, so long as the structure of the building can support the weight.
Vegetation Blankets
Another interesting option for green roofing is the use of Vegetation Blankets. For more information, see Vegetation for Roof and Ground Covering. Image Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wengs/ / CC BY 2.0
Friday, February 19, 2010
Global warming indigestion may push gorillas, monkeys to extinction
WASHINGTON: Global warming-induced indigestion could threaten the existence of mountain gorillas and other leaf-eating primates, suggests a new
Experts predicted that the annual temperatures are expected to rise by 2 degrees Celsius by mid-century in some climate models and higher temperatures could lead the animals to inaction, and spending more time lounging in the shade to avoid overheating.
Principal investigator Amanda Korstjens, a biological anthropologist at Bournemouth University in the U.K, and colleagues said sitting mountain gorillas and African colobines, a large group of species including colobus monkeys, combined with less nutritious food, may push the animals to extinction.
"A two-degree temperature increase is not a very farfetched idea," National Geographic quoted her as saying.
"Animals can adapt ... and maybe primates will find another way of coping. (But) I expect that they are at their limits already," she added.
Colin Chapman, a primate ecologist at Montreal's McGill University, added "if the assumptions are correct," he said, "shows a pretty big potential in changes in distribution and extinction risk."
The study was published in the journal Animal Behaviour.
Experts predicted that the annual temperatures are expected to rise by 2 degrees Celsius by mid-century in some climate models and higher temperatures could lead the animals to inaction, and spending more time lounging in the shade to avoid overheating.
Principal investigator Amanda Korstjens, a biological anthropologist at Bournemouth University in the U.K, and colleagues said sitting mountain gorillas and African colobines, a large group of species including colobus monkeys, combined with less nutritious food, may push the animals to extinction.
"A two-degree temperature increase is not a very farfetched idea," National Geographic quoted her as saying.
"Animals can adapt ... and maybe primates will find another way of coping. (But) I expect that they are at their limits already," she added.
Colin Chapman, a primate ecologist at Montreal's McGill University, added "if the assumptions are correct," he said, "shows a pretty big potential in changes in distribution and extinction risk."
The study was published in the journal Animal Behaviour.
Some parts of oceans getting saltier: Study
Washington: Global warming is making some parts of the oceans saltier, a new study has claimed.
A research led by Australian scientists showed a clear link between salinity changes at the surface and changes in the deeper waters over the last six decades caused by the warming seen over the same period.
"The saltiness or salinity of the oceans is controlled by evaporation and rainfall at earth's surface," said senior researcher Paul Durack of CSIRO, the Australian government's research agency.
"The supercharging of weather patterns by global warming is making some parts of earth's oceans much saltier while others parts are getting fresher," Durack wrote in the Journal of Climate.
He said, the more evaporation there is at a given patch of ocean, the more concentrated the salts get in the seawater and the higher the salinity, however in places where lots of rain is falling, the water gets more diluted, becoming fresher.
The team analysed more than 460,000 oceanic readings collected by an army of 3,200 autonomous ARGO buoys and after subtracting out such things as cyclical seasonal salinity changes and other extreme events, they found a strong signal of more evaporation and rainfall over the oceans -- an enhancement to the average surface salinity.
What they found is that the subtropical, evaporation-dominated waters of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans are getting saltier while the tropical and higher latitude waters are getting fresher -- these later areas being where there is more rainfall than evaporation over the year.
But the matter goes deeper than just the ocean surface water, Durack said, adding "the ARGO buoys don't just float around on the surface, they can sink down to two kilometres below the surface and rise again, gathering data the whole way to create three dimensional ocean profiles".
These show that the salinity changes are actually moving, following the paths that ocean water circulates from the surface into the depths, Discovery Channel reported.
"While such changes in salinity would be expected at the ocean surface (where about 80 per cent of surface water exchange occurs), sub-surface measurements indicate much broader, warming-driven changes are extending into the deep ocean," said Durack.
"This is probably one of the most significant papers we've seen yet in this area," said Dean Roemmich, part of the ARGO leadership team.
A research led by Australian scientists showed a clear link between salinity changes at the surface and changes in the deeper waters over the last six decades caused by the warming seen over the same period.
"The saltiness or salinity of the oceans is controlled by evaporation and rainfall at earth's surface," said senior researcher Paul Durack of CSIRO, the Australian government's research agency.
"The supercharging of weather patterns by global warming is making some parts of earth's oceans much saltier while others parts are getting fresher," Durack wrote in the Journal of Climate.
He said, the more evaporation there is at a given patch of ocean, the more concentrated the salts get in the seawater and the higher the salinity, however in places where lots of rain is falling, the water gets more diluted, becoming fresher.
The team analysed more than 460,000 oceanic readings collected by an army of 3,200 autonomous ARGO buoys and after subtracting out such things as cyclical seasonal salinity changes and other extreme events, they found a strong signal of more evaporation and rainfall over the oceans -- an enhancement to the average surface salinity.
What they found is that the subtropical, evaporation-dominated waters of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans are getting saltier while the tropical and higher latitude waters are getting fresher -- these later areas being where there is more rainfall than evaporation over the year.
But the matter goes deeper than just the ocean surface water, Durack said, adding "the ARGO buoys don't just float around on the surface, they can sink down to two kilometres below the surface and rise again, gathering data the whole way to create three dimensional ocean profiles".
These show that the salinity changes are actually moving, following the paths that ocean water circulates from the surface into the depths, Discovery Channel reported.
"While such changes in salinity would be expected at the ocean surface (where about 80 per cent of surface water exchange occurs), sub-surface measurements indicate much broader, warming-driven changes are extending into the deep ocean," said Durack.
"This is probably one of the most significant papers we've seen yet in this area," said Dean Roemmich, part of the ARGO leadership team.
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