The Swinging Swine Flu May 3, 2009

Swine flu goes from peron-to-pig yet could it jump back?  This must be considered as crossing species could be deadly.  The virus that has never- been-seen-before was created when genes from pig, bird, and human viruses mixed together inside a pig.  Experts fear the virus that has gone from humans back into pigs in at least one case could mutate further before crossing back into humans again.   Still, no one can predict what will happen as it could gain virulance or grow milder.  On Saturday, Canadian officials announced that the virus had infected about 200 pigs on a farm and was linked to a farm worker who had recently returned from Mexico.  This was the first evidence that it had jumped to another species.  Officials believe the farm worker may have coughed or sneezed by the pigs, mildly infecting them.  Experts say, however, that pork even from infected pigs is safe to eat.  While the H5NI bird flu virus infects the blood, organs, and tissue of poultry–most swine flus are confined to the respiratory track, meaning the risk of a human getting infected by a pig is “probably 10 or a 1,000 times less,” Lubroth said.  Yet because pigs share some basic biological similarities with humans, pigs are of special concern.  Thus, the  world may have been watching and preparing for a pandemic.  Yet from a swine reservoir, and one that could potentially jump back, we never saw it coming.

Due to the recent swine flu outbreak, I thought it was appropriate to further research the virus and blog about it.  I found it very concerning that there may be some human-to-pig cases that could result in the pandemic becoming even deadlier.  Right now, our world is going through a very difficult time as everything surrounding the virus is so unfamiliar.  Given that the past three flu outbreaks were all linked to birds, much of the global preparedness has been focused on avian flus.  We never expected the virus to becoming from a swine reservoir where the possibility of jumping from pig-to-human and from human-to-pig is a concern.  Nonetheless, we must continue to remain calm and alert, focusing on what we know rather than the vast unknown.

Sources:

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Mexico-City/photo//090503/photos_wl_uk_afp/54aeccf9f2d96ed141ed53408a4658e9/

Ethanol Debate: Helps or Hurts Global Warming Fight? May 3, 2009

President Obama, in his commitment to take on climate change, faces the question about widespread use of ethanol.  There are many pros and cons to the ethanl debate in which politics comes in conflict with science.   Congress said any fuel produced in plants built after 2007 must emit 20 percent less in greenhouse gases than gasoline if it comes from corn, and 60 percent less if from cellulosic crops.  Meeting the direct emissions would not be a problem.  But if indirect emissions from expected land use changes are included, ethanol probably would fail the test.  Such “indirect”  impacts on global warming include land use, including climate-threatening deforestation, as land is cleared to plant corn or other ethanol crops.  However, environmentalists say there have been enough studies on the indirect impact on ethanol on greenhouse pollution to justify the science.  The environmental organizations also noted that Obama has “vowed to make the U.S. a leader on climate change” and put science over politics, and “now is the time to uphold those pledges.”

After reading this article, I realized that President Obama will have to factor in more than just the direct, heat-trapping pollution from ethanol and its production.  Land use must be considered, which puts into question the future of widespread ethanol use in place of oil.  In 2007, Congress ordered huge increases in ethanol use, requiring refiners to blend 20 billion gallons with gasoline by 2015 and a further expansion to 36 billion gallons a year by 2022.  This transition is just as much of a priority in the Obama White House yet not without considering all impacts resulted from ethanol.

An E-85 fuel pump sits ready for its next customer in Springfield, Ill.

Sources:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30549505

www.apimages.com

EPA Toughens Invasive Species Rules February 27, 2009

To prevent cargo ships from dumping invasive species into the nation’s waterways, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency says the Obama administration will reconsider rules that critics say do too little.   The EPA in December released a general permit for cargo vessels entering the Great Lakes or other U.S. waters from overseas that includes rules for 26 types of discharges.  These include ballast, oily bilge water and “gray water” from showers and sinks.  As EPA head Lisa Jackson said Tuesday, the permit from the Bush administration “doesn’t begin to address some of the concerns that are out there.”  Zebra mussels and other aquatic invaders that have overwhelmed native species and cost billions in economic damage travel through Ballast water, which keeps vessels stable in rough seas.  Measures such as rinsing ships’ empty tanks with salt water to kill freshwater organisms lurking in residual puddles or sediment have already been required by Canada and the U.S. Coast Guard.  However, critics say they could still let some invasives get through.  As a result, several environmental groups sued EPA last month, accusing the permit of not fulfilling the requirements of the Clean Water Act.  They want shippers to install systems for sterilizing tanks, which the maritime industry says are being developed but remain unavailable.  Obama, with his recent election, has proposed a $5 billion “down payment” toward implementation of a $20 billion restoration plan released by the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration in 2005.  It includes drinking water and sewage system upgrades, toxic site cleanups, improvements to wetlands and wildlife habitat and continued efforts to keep foreign species out of the lakes.  Through this investment in water infrastructure, great payoffs such as improved water quality and job creation will surely follow.

I found this article particularly interesting because it involved water improvement of the Great Lakes, beach locations I have countlessly visited.  My family owns a cottage near Williams Bay.  Lake Michigan is not far off.  Whenever we go to the lakes, I always come in contact with zebra mussels.  I was shocked to find out that these are considered “invasive” aquatic critters.  For as long as I can remeber, I have always associated zebra mussels as a native species to lakes.  After experiencing a bloody foot from stepping on one of these creatures, I hope that the EPA will toughen their invasive species rules and control the overpopulation of zebra mussels.

Cluster of zebra mussels from Lake Michigan off Suttons Bay

Source:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29393201/wid/18298287/

http://apimages.ap.org/Search.aspx?kw=EPA%2C+Great+Lakes&intv=None&sh=14&st=k&remem=x

Erosion Doubles Along Stretch of Alaska Coast February 25, 2009

Big parts of Alaska are falling into the sea, indicating a possible sign of things to come.  The erosion of a stretch of Alaska’s coast has recently surged to more than double the average historical rate.  New studies show the loss of land with collapsed sections of permafrost coastline as well as decades-old artifacts that have slipped into the sea.  Although it does not include the entire coastline, scientists caution the shift might be due to declining Arctic sea ice extent.  This will result in increased summertime sea-surface temperatures, rising sea levels, and increased storm power and wave action.  “These factors may be leading to a new era in ocean-land interactions that seem to be repositioning and reshaping the Arctic coastline,” the scientists write in the Feb. 14 issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters.  In comparison to the average erosion rates during two previous periods, the 64-kilometer (40-mile) stretchof the Beaufort Sea has eroded more than than double the rate at 80 feet (24 meters) during 2007 alone.  The 2002 period, the most rececnt erosion rate since 2007, had only reached 45 feet (14 meters).  Thus, this alarming pattern serves as a future forecast of coastline erosion in the region.  This, of course, will have other dramatic effects on the region’s environment.  “Any increases in already rapid rates of coastal retreat will have further ramifications on Arctic landscapes — including losses in freshwater and terrestrial wildlife habitats, in subsistence grounds for local communities, and in disappearing cultural sites as well as as adversely impacting coastal villages and towns. In addition, oil test wells are threatened,” said Benjamin Jones, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Anchorage.

I found this article to be very shocking.  This only further supports the fact that the earth is warming at an alarming rate.  Sea-levels have increased due to thermal expansion and melting of polar land ice.  Storms and hurricanes have increased in severity.  The ocean’s conveyor belt has stoped, resulting in the regulation of weather patterns to be decreased.  Now, stretches of Alaska’s coastline is eroding into the sea.  Climate change is resulting in rapid and complex environmental responses found in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems.  Yet despite the world changing before our eyes, society still has not made significant efforts.  It is not until something great happens–something so unthinkably dramatic and catastrophic–that society will realize the consequences of these changes and start to make a difference, that is, if it is not too late. 

Beaufort Sea Alaskan Coastline

 

Source:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29262995/wid/18298287/

http://apimages.ap.org/secured_user/DownloadSingle.aspx?st=dl&attemptedDL=1&errors=&impid=&id=84cd3a32846c4e99bc59532d9133050a&hash=2eDYV254D%252bnoiQ3EDzzzx3M7qz6hebIQ2lM%252bhc2e5EC9j3R6fehbt98mRyNEFBVBoLEERSsIVzy%252bxfNe64XK7g%253d%253d

Preparing Chicago for the Olympics is No Game February 25, 2009

In Chicago’s official Olympic bid book, released earlier this month, organizers show cast a low-carbon “blue-green” event that focuses on environmentalism.  Organizers say vehicles provided by the games would run on low-carbon fuels or electricity.  Event sites would be powered by renewable energy.  Venues would be found mostly along Lake Michigan that is lined with parks.  Storm water would be collected for reuse along with all products used which will be recyclable or reusable.  Finally, sites would adhere to all green building standards and coexist with natural habitat.  Yet the other cities–Madrid, Rio De Janerio, and Tokyo– found in the running for the Olympics are also highlighting environmentally-friendly plans.  Regardless of whether Chicago gets the Olympics, Mayor Richard M. Daley says he’ll continue to focus on a goal he set a long time ago: to make his city the greenest in the United States.  “When I started planting trees they thought it was a waste of money,” Daley said during an interview at his City Hall office. “We started planting a green roof. They said, ‘Oh, this is silly. What are we doing that for?’”  10 years ago, the city started its green-roof program which helps cool buildings and slow storm water runoff.  The city has also planted thousands of trees and roadside plants, designated nearly 140 miles of bicycle lanes, and is buying hybrid buses and studying whether to designate bus-only lanes.  Still, the city has a long way to go to match the Olympic’s other bid cities.  Chicago air quality consistently does not meet federal standards.  Perhaps Chicago’s even greater challenge, besides keeping its green promise for the Olympics, is improving the city’s troubled public transportation system.  “By no means are we perfect and we don’t say that we are,” said Suzanne Malec-McKenna, commissioner of the Chicago Department of the Environment. “I think that we’re bold. I think we’re willing to take risks and hopefully create a market to make it accessible to residents and businesses.”  Chicago wants the Olympics, and hopefully its going to get it.

After reading this article, I was amazed by how much the upcoming Olympics will be influenced by the environment.  Going green has truly become a global concern and will only be further accomplished with the Olympics.  I know that I am bias to Chicago, but I feel our city is very deserving for the Olympics.  Although the city has a few hurdles to overcome, especially with its transportation system, I feel that the Olympics will only motivate Chicago in reaching its goal of becoming the greenest city in the United States.  The city has already added 113 hybrid buses and is expecting another 57 by late summer.  Its century-old tracks are also being heavily worked upon.  Although Chicago still has a  long way to go–a gleaming, modern, and green metropolis is in the midst.  Hopefully, this new metropolis will be home to the next Olympics.

United States Olympic Committee's Team

 Source:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29334502/wid/18298287/

http://apimages.ap.org/OneUp.aspx?st=k&kw=chicago%202016%20olympics&showact=results&sort=relevance&page=1&intv=None&sh=14&kwstyle=and&adte=1235577162&pagez=20&rids=8cb15efb2cd2497eb96b076c5473a8ab&dbm=PY2007&xslt=1&dispname=070307019946%2C%20Chicago%202016%20Olympics

Energy-Efficiency Bulbs at the cost of Headaches? January 3, 2009

Australia has banned them, Britain is about to, and the U.S. may soon.  So it seems, more and more complaints have arisen aboutefficient compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs causing headaches.  Due to the bulbs’ flickering lights, society at large has been accusing them as the culprit to frequent on-and-off headaches.  Many experts say that the issue is being overblown, however, that there is no scientific evidence that the bulbs cause headaches and that a kind of hysteria has grown out of a small number of reports.  Although industry experts acknowledge that older, magnetically ballasted long-tube fluorescent bulbs have noticeable flicker rate–modern, electronically ballasted bulbs refresh themselves at rates too fast for the human eye to notice flickering.  “As far as I’m aware there is no association between headaches and the use of compact fluorescent lamps,” says Phil Scarbro of Energy Federation Incorporated (EFI).  Still Magda Havas, an Environmental & Resource Studies Ph.D., says that some CFLs emit radio frequency radiation that can cause fatigue, dizziness, and even migraines.  To test to see if your CFLs give off such radiation, she suggests putting a portable AM radio near one that’s on and listening for extra static the closer you get.  The issue, however, proves to be an on-going debate as both sides argue strong defenses. 

This article, in particular, caught my attention because I had been suffering lately from frequent headaches.  Although there are numerous reasons for my current headaches, I can’t help but be curious.  Could energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs actually be the cause of headaches?  It makes sense, the extra flickering of light from older bulbs does seem like a reasonable explanation as to why headaches could follow.  Experts say another consideration may also be the color temperature of the bulb.  CFLs rated at 2,700 Kelvin give off light in the more pleasing red/yellow end of the color spectrum, closer to that of most incandescents.  Whereas bulbs rated at 5,000 Kelvin and above give off a less pleasing white/blue light.  Whatever the final call is on CFLs, I don’t think we should abandon energy-efficient bulbs all together.  They still are incredibly efficient and convenient, attributes that should never be overlooked.  Just something to think about.

Source:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3898312/wid/18298287/

Nicaragua Paving the Way January 3, 2009

In the past, Nicaragua was experiencing repetitive rolling blackouts that left the country powerless for days.  The government, struggling to pay higher energy costs as oil prices peaked, turned to new energy-efficient alternatives.  Today, thirty-four percent of the country’s energy comes from geothermal power produced by volcanoes, hydroelectric power generated by dams, and sugarcane based ethanol.  By the end of January, the country will begin a new project of building nineteen windmills that have the potential to generate forty megawatts of energy.  Energy Minister Emilio Rappaccioli said the $90 million project will contribute six percent of the country’s total energy needs and save the country about $9 million a year in fuel costs.  The four-hundred foot tall windmills will be set up on the edge of Lake Nicaragua and will be installed by Suzlon Energy Ltd. of Pune, India.  Along with India’s contribution, Rappaccioli said Iran, Brazil, and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim have also expressed interest in investing in the country’s renewable energy efforts.  So it seems, everyone wants a hand in being green.

I found this article to be very uplifting.  Nicaragua was once so energy-deprived that it relied solely upon oil to generate its country.  Today, it is paving the way for all nations in its remarkable efforts to turn energy-efficient.  One thing to note is how productively Nicaragua manages its resources.  Scattered with volcanoes and rivers across the land, Nicaragua has managed to generate a third of its energy from geothermal and hydroelectric power.  The new windmill project only adds to their already impressive efforts.  I think our nation should look to Nicaragua for guidance.  Other countries have  already recognized Nicaragua as a prime example by investing in the country’s projects.  Russia is planning to build two geothermal plants in Nicaragua with the capacity to produce two-hundred megawatts.  Venezuela, a close ally to Nicaragua, is also providing assistance in Nicaragua’s energy-efficient efforts.  Thus, I think the United States should also applaud this country by contributing as well.  At the very least, the U.S. should at least learn something from Nicaragua.  Nicaragua is, after all, paving the way in today’s energy-efficiency crusade.

Source:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28421541/wid/18298287/

Meet Obama’s Choice for Energy Secretary December 14, 2008

As our class studies alternative energy sources for the future, I found this article about President-elect Barack Obama’s hopeful candidate for Energy Secretary.  Steven Chu is a Nobel Prize-winning physicist whose scientific interests have centered on energy and finding ways to replace fossil fuels with other energy sources.  One of Chu’s main focuses is to convert energy from the sun into a fuel.  Arguing that  breaking away from fossil fuels is the only way to fully combat global warming, Chu hopes to link the the physical and biological sciences with engineering to inspire independent-thinking scientists that will create new approaches to the climate issue.  So far, Chu has been focusing on otaining energy from the sun or creating biofuels from plants in order to curb warming.  Chu, as energy secretary, would be in control of a department of 14,000 employees with a $25 billion budget.  Two-thirds of this budget would be designated for nuclear weapons research and maintenance.  Barack Obama has promised to act swiftly on energy issues and hopefully with Chu as Energy Secretary, this issue of climate change will be addressed.

Now more than ever, the environment must be a major concern in Washington.  I think it is very important that Barack Obama is considering such a man with broad scientific credentials and a fresh outlook on energy alternatives.  We need change, and I think Chu will be an excellent choice to lead such a change.  As Secretary of the Energy Department, Chu has a huge responsibility on his hands.  Many argue that he has little experience in the White House and in what occupies much of the Department’s business such as in nuclear weapon research.  Still, Chu’s research into biofuels and solar energy technologies has landed him as the director of the Berkely Lab, the oldest of the Energy Department’s national laboratories, since 2004.  He was also the former head of the physics department at Standford.  Therefore, I feel his wide range of knowledge in the science fields will greatly benefit the Department and its focus on climate change. 

Source:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28177027/wid/18298287/

End of Oil Could Worsen Global Warming… December 12, 2008

Or so, that’s what a new study reveals.  Pushker Kharecha of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University explained that as the oil and gas begin to dry up–or in other words, when “peak oil” occurs–coal could move in to fill the demand for energy.  Generating a kilowatt hour of energy by burning oil pumps 274 grams of carbon dioxide into the air, while coal, by far the worst polluter, pumps 331 grams of CO2 per kilowatt hour.  Thus by slackening oil and gas supplies, Kharecha argues that the pace of global warming would actually increase because coal would most likely be the next alternative source of energy.  In a series of calculations, Kharecha and co-author James Hansen suggest that major climate damage could be avoided even if oil and gas production continue unabated and are allowed to balance out as reserves dwindle.  “Those two fossil fuels couldn’t keep us in the danger zone for very long,” Kharecha said.  This refers to a CO2 concentration of 350 parts per million in the atmosphere or higher.  Right now, the concentration is already “undesirably high” at a concentration of about 385 part per million.  However, Kharecha adds, “We must reduce coal emissions first and foremost.  Coal has the potential to keep us in the danger zone for a very lone time, well past the year 2150.”  Kevin Gurney of Purdue University said that with coal so cheap and abundant, the world will most likely be more drawn to this resource.   With peak oil demanding the need for new sources of energy around the world, he said  ”I unfortunately think that without serious leadership intervention, we are going to trundle along and start using coal.”  Kharecha, however, remains optimistic in humanity’s capabilities.  “Peak oil and gas can really go both ways,” Kharecha said. “If people choose to use coal, oil sands, methane, or other fossil fuels as a substitute, that’s going to be a major problem. But if it spurs society to realize we need to wean ourselves off fossils fuels, it could be a huge boon for climate.”

Kharecha, I feel, makes an interesting point.  It is an accepted fact that burning fuels releases the harmful greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  This, of course, will saturate the atmosphere, pushing temperatures ever higher and worsening a host of global environmental problems.  Yet add a rough economy and dwindling oil supply into the mix and this known truth flies out the window.   Coal will inevitably be pushed as the next potential replacement of oil.  Its cheap.  Its abundant.  Its effective and gets the job done.  Being at the brink of “peak oil” will only advance the desire to use coal as a replacement.  Thus although oil may not be the best overall option, it might just be good enough for now.  Scientists are currently exploring other alternative energy sources, such as ethanol and hydrogen, which are hopeful for the future.  However, until such resources are perfected, I do not think we should turn to coal as a replacement of oil.  As this new study reveals, coal is much more harmful to the environment than the burning of oil.  As a result, I feel Kharecha makes a surprisingly good point in that it is better to play it safe than sorry when it comes to the environment.

Source:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28163684/wid/18298287/

You Can’t Stop the Motion of the Ocean December 11, 2008

A Seattle company has asked the Federal Regulatory Commission for permits to harness energy from waves off the coastline of six states.  Grays Harbor Ocean Energy Company would build seven harnessing sites, each covering about 100 square miles, in hopes to convert the motion of the ocean into electricity.  The $28 billion project–including federal waters off California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island–would be the largest renewable energy project in the nation.  Although planning to pay the project largely with private investment, the firm is also seeking federal help.  However, the permits can expect to face a long and difficult process of government approval.  The Grays Harbor sites, though the appliances are designated for wave power only, can also support wind turbines which would require additional government approval.  Grays Harbor’s president, Burton Hamner,  said the wind turbines contain tips reaching about 500 feet above water which would be needed to make the projects economically viable.  Despite the complex process of federal permission, multiple sites for the renewable energy projects have already been decided.  The Massachusetts site would be 12 to 17 miles southeast of Nantucket Island, and the Rhode Island site would be south of Block Island, both popular vacation destinations and thus controversial locations.  The New York site would be east of Jones Island, about 12 to 25 miles offshore.  The Hawaii proposal calls for 100 wave-energy conversion platforms build 15 to 25 miles off Honolulu.  California has two sites, one in the waters west of Ventura and the other 20-25 miles west of San Francisco.

Renewable energy has been generated from multiple natural sources such as sunlight, wind, rain, and geothermal heat.  Now ocean power can be added to the list of sources generating renewable energy.  Although tide energy can only occur at ocean-front sites, this new project with locations in 6 different states proves to be paving the way for a much greener world.  I think its amazing how far our world has come.  With concerns in climate change coupled with the current economic crisis, we must take advantage of our natural sources in replacement of our dependency on limited resources.  Now more than ever, our world must build to a clean and clever energy future.  The market is growing for many forms of renewable energy and must continue to do so until a lasting, competitive source of generated energy is perfected.  Whether powered energy will come  from the sun or the ocean or any other natural source, one thing thing is clear: renewable energy is the future. 

Source:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28113042/wid/18298287/