I realize that this is a sensational news story….
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/17/us/oregon-teen-urinates-into-water-supply/
Category: water
Poplar trees, especially genetically modified poplars, have been in the news for their ability to decontaminate the ground of chemicals, specifically oil. In the link, the specific contaminant is TCE…an industrial solvent. The poplar trees absorb the water with the chemical over a period of about three years, the tree is cut down, and then put into a landfill.
This process seems unsustainable at first, but removing the contaminated ground takes more work and money. Also, poplar trees are fast-growing and short-living, so they’re the perfect candidate for the task.
What are some ways to test the efficacy of the poplar trees? How is it impacting landfills? Can we do anything else with the “used-up” trees?
In this article, published in the New York Times, author Justin Gillis touches on the recent report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a branch of the United Nations “that periodically summarizes climate science.” The main point of the report was that the worst is yet to come. Given that climate change is a present issue, occurring everyday, the effects of it are difficult to slow down without taking the serious steps to cut back on carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.
On the front of human rights, the report “emphasized that the world’s food supply is at considerable risk – a threat that could have serious consequences for the poorest nations” (emphasis mine).
Furthermore, on the sociological and political fronts, the report “cited the risk of death or injury on a wide scale, probable damage to public health, displacement of people and potential mass migrations.”
Finally, on the economic side, “climate-change impacts are projected to slow down economic growth, make poverty reduction more difficult, further erode food security, and prolong existing and create new poverty traps, the latter particularly in urban areas and emerging hot spots of hunger.”
Climate change is not only about the earth and the resources that are exhausted through mass consumption, though these are two ends in and of themselves. Climate change has implications in the realms of economics, politics and even human rights.
In case you missed it – see NYTimes story
One advantage of converting to renewables would be less of these messes (recall the much larger Deepwater Horizon spill in spring and summer 2010).
I found this article which talks about Keurigs interest in worldwide accessibility to clean water. They are partnering with a charity that is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing clean and safe drinking water to residents of developing nations. They’ve committed $11 million to help nonprofit organizations in promoting water security.
http://www.stowetoday.com/waterbury_record/news/article_7204b160-b50a-11e3-b7ae-001a4bcf887a.html
This link discusses some recent negotiations regarding the development of a new set of goals (the current ones expire in 2015) that will incorporate sustainable development concerns.
One of the main issues, which is totally consistent with our Engineers without Borders experience in Honduras, is that the communities must be involved in the decision-making and responsibility at every step of the process, rather than a paternalistic system where “solutions” are provided by developed countries.
The graphite used in lithium ion batteries primarily comes from China and graphite pollution is negatively impacting air and water quality. Unfortunately, lithium ion batteries are vital to many clean electric vehicles in the US, including those manufactured by Tesla.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-14/teslas-in-california-help-bring-dirty-rain-to-china.html
I came across this article in the New York Times regarding a potential expansion of the reach of the Clean Water Act, which may have potentially harmful consequences on farmers with small ditches or streams that have water in them during certain parts of the year.
While arguments for and against this expansion of jurisdiction are made, the consequences aren’t exactly clear. Since assessments of the small ditches and other such water-holding streams would need to be made before the EPA could determine whether a permit is needed, some argue that this would cause farmers to miss out on planting time, which could ultimately lead to great losses of income.
This op-ed in the NY Times explains how drought, water, California agriculture, and increasing consumption of beef in Asia are all connected.
The link below is to an article on the NY Times website from March 5, describing record fines for Alpha Natural Resources, a coal company in the United States. The fines total $27.5 million for more than 6,000 violations they received from 2006 to 2013. The violations were related to water quality and the discharge of pollutants. The company states their new equipment will help prevent further discharge of pollutants.
As nearly 95% of the state of California remains in a drought, new desalination plants are being considered.
A new 50 million gallon/day plant is on track to open Carlsbad, Ca in two years, and several other communities in the state are considering similar solutions. However, the ecological impact and the high price that are still inherent to desalination are causing many towns to hold to out for cheaper sources of water.
Phila-area colleges were big winners in this round of EPA green infrastructure grants.
Phila has made a name for itself in this area – using green space and vegetation to reduce stormwater inflow to storm sewers. Quite a few Lafayette CE alums now work for Phila Water Dept in the green infrastructure area.
A few weeks ago a legend of American folk music passed away at the age of 94 (just imagine the changes experienced since 1920!). I suspect many of you have not heard of Pete Seeger, as his heyday was well before your time (and mine). Known for his activism and protest songs regarding the Vietnam War, civil rights, and other social issues, he also was a champion of the environment especially the Hudson River. His music inspired a generation of artists like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.
Check out this short article about Pete Seeger’s environmental legacy.
And here is his obit in the NYTimes. I like the quote at the end
Below is a path to the Villanova University website which shares information as to what they’re doing on campus to improve stormwater by reducing the amount of volume of runoff and improving the quality by removing pollutants through means of stormwater BMP’s. I’m a Civil Engineer and deal with this daily so I figured I’d share what another school around the area is doing.
http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/engineering/research/centers/vcase/vusp1.html#tb=none
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