The Big, Bad, Wildfires of 2012

According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), and NASA, 2012 was, “an extraordinary year for wildfires.” While this was already a known fact of mine as I have blogged about it previously in the year, the statistics of just how popular wildfires were this year are interesting. As of December 2012, NIFC statistics showed that over 9.1 million acres of land have burned this year- which is the 3^rd highest total in history since data has been recorded in 1960.  Although the number of wildfires itself for 2012 was low (56,000), along with the number of acres burned being extremely high, the average size of fires in 2012 is the highest recorded in history.

            Along with the NIFC recording and researching fire data, NASA researchers also maintain records of the amount of area burned per year as a part of the Global Fire Emissions Database (GFED). According to NASA scientist Louis Giglio, the intensity of wildfires in 2012 will also break the GFED record. So why is this data important? Well, after the shocking drought that the U.S. and many other parts of the world have been faced with, this information will become very useful in planning and mitigation efforts to areas prone to these fires. Giglio stated in an interview that, “This type of long-term fire monitoring will only become important as the climate changes and certain regions prone to fire become drier.”

            By looking at records and other data that has been collected over time, researchers can begin studying these wildfire trends and start predicting which regions need to be better managed and prepared to prevent the spread of wildfires. To read more about wildfires in the past year, visit my blogs, “Conditions For Fire Favorable In Wisconsin,” and “Firenado Hits Australian Outback.”

For more information on this story, visit:

2012 Marks Extraordinary Year For U.S Wildfires

NASA Earth Observatory- U.S Wildfires

NASA- 2012 And The Future Of Fire

The Fountain Of Youth Gets A Run For Its Money

            A new study led by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) shows that the life expectancy in the United States from the years 2000-2007 has improved in 545 counties. In this time duration, the life expectancy in these counties increased 0.35 years. So what’s to thank for this increase in life-expectancy? According to research, it may be the environmental laws and regulations put in to place that is responsible for the research found in this study.

             According to lead author of the study, Dr. Andrew Correia, “Despite the fact that the U.S. population as a whole is exposed to much lower levels of air pollution than 30 years ago—because of great strides made to reduce people’s exposure—it appears that further reductions in air pollution levels would continue to benefit public health.” This study in particular focused on the effect on health due to fine particulate matter. There have been other studies done that show associations between chronic and acute exposure to fine particulate air pollution, cardiopulmonary disease and death, so this study helps show the importance of continuing to decrease this pollution in our society. Past studies have also shown that reducing air pollution can also reduce health effects and increase life expectancy, just as this study has justified as well.

            So with laws and regulations on air quality control in place, and hopefully more to come, it will be interesting to see if this increase in life expectancy continues to grow and have a direct correlation with the amount of air pollution in our society. Though there are skeptics of this idea, if people want to help reduce air pollution for a reason other than a 0.35 year increase in life expectancy, maybe they can do it for planet earth, and the future generations that will occupy it.

For more information on this story, visit:
Improvements In Air Quality Add Years To Life Expectancy In U.S

Harvard School of Public Health

             

A Not So Happy Holiday

With the holiday season right around the corner, many warnings are being released regarding the purchase of children’s toys. After the major Mattel recall made in 2007, where over 900,000 toys were recalled, the CDC is reminding adults to use caution when purchasing children’s toys. In a recent news release, the CDC reminds consumers of the health hazards associated with lead and other toxins.

Lead is a colorless and odorless gas which can be found in the paint and/or plastic of toys; and it can be nearly impossible to detect being that it is invisible to the naked eye. A child can be exposed to lead simply from normal handling of a product. Being that children’s nose, mouth and ears are in close proximity to these toys, it makes lead paint and/or dust exposure easy.  

Although lead poisoning can sometimes be hard to detect, and many people may have high amounts of lead in their blood without showing any symptoms, there are many symptoms to look for in children that may indicate exposure to lead. Signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in children may include the following: irritability, loss of appetite, weightlessness, fatigue, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, and learning difficulties.

Being that the only way to be positive a child was not exposed to lead, is a blood test, physicians advise that children see their doctor for a test if they come in contact with a recalled toy.  

 For more information on this story, visit:

CDC: Lead Hazards In Some Holiday Toys

Learn more about lead and it's health effects at:

CDC: Lead

To learn about the Mattel recall of 2007, visit:

Mattel Issues Massive Toy Recall

New York Has Voted And The Results Are In

According to a recent poll taken by the Siena Research Institute of Loudonville, NY, the results show that the vast majority of New York voters believe that Hurricane Sandy demonstrated the effects of climate change. According to this poll, 69% of voters tied not only this superstorm, but tropical storms Irene and Lee (last year) to global climate change. On the contrary, the poll found that only 23% of New York voters believe that these storms were isolated events.

 

Considering the timing of Hurricane Sandy, which may or may not have played a significant role in this year’s presidential election, these results are staggering. While 8 in 10 Democrats said the storms demonstrated climate change, Republicans were more split on the issue. 46% of Republicans believe these storms were linked to climate change while 44% believe these events were isolated. Being that President Obama and Governor Romney had varying views on the subject of climate change, these storms could have very well played a big part in the election- with 69% of New York residents linking these events to climate change.

Along with this, according to this recent poll which was conducted last Monday through Thursday, it seems that the majority of people were pleased with the way in which Hurricane Sandy was handled, unlike the preparedness of Hurricane Katrina a few years back. Siena Research Institute found that 67% of voters said Governor Andrew M. Cuomo did an excellent or good job handling the storm, 61 percent approved of President Obama’s performance, and 53 percent were pleased with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Siena Research Institute, 2012).

This poll was interesting to me, and I would have to agree that the way in which this storm was handled seemed very appropriate. The mitigation acts that were in place and the preparedness of the affected areas without a doubt were much better than what we have seen in recent years; for example, as compared to Hurricane Katrina.

 
So what does this say for our future? Will we start hearing more about climate change and policies/plans to save our environment? I will continue to follow this topic to see how the issue of climate change revolves in recent news.

For more information on this recent poll, visit:

NY Times: Most New Yorkers Tie Hurricane Sandy to Climate Change, Poll Finds

Siena Research Institute 

Air Pollution and Autism

Photo Credit: Rachael Rettner/Fox News

 

 

A recent study released shows that children who are exposed to higher levels of air pollution early in life may have a higher risk of autism. The research found in this study shows that children who live in areas with high levels of traffic generated air pollution in their first year of life are three times more likely to have autism- as opposed to children living in areas with low levels of traffic generated air pollution. This study also found that there was a link between air pollution exposure while in the womb and autism-particularly during late pregnancy. There are many factors that are possibly related to autism such as age of mother and father, ethnicity, and gender- and these factors were taken into consideration during this study. Even after taking other factors into consideration however, researchers still found trends linking the high levels of air pollution to autism.

While this study shows interesting information, it does only show an association linking air pollution and autism, not a cause and effect relationship however. Rachael Rettner of Fox 6 News also reported that, “researchers did not gather information on the children's nutrition or their exposure to indoor pollutants and secondhand smoke, which could affect the results.” Although nutrition and indoor pollutants were not taken into consideration, this information is still important to note, and more research should be done to gather additional data. Traffic generated air pollution is common and is continually increasing which is why it is important we continue to research this relationship between air pollution and autism.

For more information on this study, visit:

 

Car Pollution Linked To Autism

There's No Place Like Home

Photo credit: Michael Raphael/FEMA

Although there were more twisters seen by mid-April of this year than ever before, after May of 2012, these numbers dropped to a historic low. According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, so far this year the United States has had only 88 tornadoes, as compared to the 1,691 seen last year. Greg Carbin, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center stated that, “We are approaching a theoretical minimum in the annual tornado count for the modern era.” According to USA today, the current year with the fewest tornadoes recorded was in 1987 when the U.S had 1,013 tornadoes; but it looks like that is about to change.
 

With only a handful of weeks left in 2012, it is highly unlikely that an event would occur to increase the amount of tornadoes in the U.S. seen this year. So why have we not seen many tornadoes this year? Bob Henson, a meteorologist for the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research stated that the reason for this decrease in tornadoes is due to the drought that rapt much of the United States. Henson also noted that, “Part of the reason for the drought — and hence the lack of tornado-producing storms — was the presence of a high-pressure "heat dome over much of the country." It will be interesting to see how the drought affects next year’s presence of tornadoes in the United States as well.

For more information on this story, visit:

 

2012 Could Break Record For Fewest Tornadoes

 

Top 5 Deadliest Tornado Years in U.S. History

Solar Storm

Early Friday morning between the times of 1:00am-5:00am a solar storm was captured and recorded at NASA’s space-based Solar Dynamics Observatory. This virtual tsunami was so big that NASA’s cameras could not capture the entire explosion. According to Kate Andries of National Geographic News,  “hot waves of charged gas—released when tangled solar magnetic fields destabilized and exploded before reconnecting again—arc away from the sun in vast red loops.” The solar arcs that were captured are the latest seen; and these explosions have been increasing in frequency. According to NASA, this is, “a time of periodic change in the sun's activity and appearance—nears its peak.”

Just four days prior to this event (Monday, November 12^th, 2012) a moderate flare was seen. This flare later caused a geomagnetic storm above earth, which in turn resulted in a great northern lights display because it supercharged the earth’s auroras.

Leon Golub, senior astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics stated that, “We are in the peak of the cycle (solar flare) right now. The sun is in its most active state." Although this solar tsunami will likely have little effect on the earth because neither one was pointed towards it, this does not mean that will always be the case.

This peak in the sun’s active state could have serious effects on the electrical grid surrounding the earth. When these types of solar flares are aimed at the planet, they carry the risk of disrupting electrical systems and satellites. These flares can also introduce the presence of radiation to astronauts. Thankfully enough, Tom Bogdan, director of the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center stated that these emissions travel slowly enough that satellites can detect them well before their particles reach earth.

For more on this story, visit:

Solar Tsunami

Solar Storm Photos

Solar Flare Sparks Biggest Eruption Ever Seen On Sun

BP Pays The Price

Sea turtle experts use soft cotton swabs to wipe oil from the head and eyes of sea turtles.

Photo credit: UC Davis

 

After many court cases and hearings, a verdict has been reached in regards to the BP oil spill. Back in April of 2010, BP’s Deepwater Horizon well burst, sending oiling pouring into the Gulf of Mexico for three months. Along with 11 workers that were killed from this incident, a large amount of wildlife including fish, birds, and endangered species such as sea turtles and sperm whales was also killed. Of the charges BP faced, each loss of human life resulted in one felony. The company will also plead guilty to one count of obstruction of congress, and one misdemeanor count under the Clean Water Act and one misdemeanor count under the Migratory Bird Treaty.

An article released today from CNN Money stated that BP plead guilty to a dozen felony charges stemming from the oil spill. BP also agreed to pay $4.5 billion in government charges. Along with this, BP’s criminal fine was totaled out at $1.256 billion in the case, which is the largest in U.S. history. The $4.5 billion agreement that BP has made also comes on top of the already $20 billion that the company has agreed to pay into a trust fund to meet damage claims from the spill.

So where will all of this money go? A large portion of the money will resolve criminal charges and an additional $525 million will be paid to resolve claims brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Along with this, $350 million will go to the National Academy of Science.

Even with all of the billions of dollars in fines that BP will pay, you cannot put a price tag on the lives, and the environmental impacts of such a large oil spill. Effects are still being seen on the Gulf, and will continue for quite some time. And the emotional effects will still be there forever, as mother Arlene Weise stated, “It [the money] doesn’t bring my boy back.” Arlene lost her 24 year old son on the rig the day of the explosion.

 

For more information on this story, visit:

BP To Pay Record Penalty For Gulf Oil Spill

 

 

Was Toba So Bad After All?

Walls of the long-since-collapsed Toba volcano on Sumatra island rise behind rice fields.
Photograph by Paul Kennedy, Lonely Planet/Getty Images

Supervolcano Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia is one of Earth’s largest volcanic events seen in the last 2 million years. As I learned in class the past few weeks, Toba’s explosion was about 5,000 times greater than that of Mount St. Helen’s and is also the equivalent to 560 Mount Pinatubo eruptions. Along with this, it has been said that Toba may have nearly driven the human race to extinction due to climate change. However, a recent study released by scientists suggests that Toba’s fallout may have not been quite as catastrophic as recently believed.

This study was based off of research done on acid rain-tainted ice cores from Antarctica and Greenland. In this study, scientists found that in respect to climate change, the Antarctic ice core shows signs of a warming event just following the Toba eruption. According to Andres Svensson, co-author of this study, “That means there's no long-term global cooling caused by the eruption, if there had been, you'd expect to see evidence of a chill at both Poles.” Svensson also stated that there may have been a shorter cooling period (10-20 years) like the ones we see from less powerful volcanoes, but other than that life seemed to move on after the eruption of Toba. Though this may be true in some aspects, researchers still say this obviously depended on where humans were located in regards to Toba. With the results of the new ice core data, researchers will have a better chance at ancient toll of this eruption, to determine whether artifacts date from pre- or post-Toba times.

 

Svensson ended this interview by stating, “It’s unlikely we'll see such a mega-eruption any time soon. It's a very low risk," thank goodness for that. 

For more information on this study and related stories, visit the following links:

 

Supervolcano Rained Acid On Both Poles- But Wasn't So Bad After All?

 

Direct linking of Greenland and Antarctic ice cores at the Toba eruption

 

Yellowstone Supervolcano Discovery—Where Will It Erupt?

 

Rain, Rain Go Away

Photo Credit: Arizona Daily Star

As promised, the east coast was hit with some unpleasant weather yesterday which brought high winds, rain and snow. The unwelcomed storm brought winds up to 60mph and once again, knocked out power for people; many of whom just got theirs back on. Residents in Connecticut and Rhode Island reported 3-6 inches of snow on Wednesday, while Worcester, Massachusetts reported 8 inches of snow.

With such heavy winds and steady precipitation, many residents were/are at risk for flooded homes. Being that meteorologists were well aware of this storm and got information out to the community quickly, public workers were able to stay ahead of the storm. Workers built up sand dunes to protect the already damaged coast, and new evacuations were put into place for some communities which were also evacuated from Sandy. Along with this, new shelters were open for those who chose to evacuate, and police went to low-lying neighborhoods urging people to leave. Construction was also paused- which is no surprise since the crane incident during Sandy. In all, these communities were well prepared for what was about to come their way…again.

Although the east coast has been slammed with some ugly weather lately, many residents are in high spirits. One resident stated, “It isn’t scary at all, this is nothing.” Under normal conditions, a storm of this type would be big news for the east coast. However, being that there are still many damages that need repair from Sandy, this storm seemed like just a minor bump in the road for many residents.

Thankfully, the weather is looking up this weekend, with temperatures estimated to be in the 50-60’s. Hopefully this gives the east coast some time to warm up and clean up.

Click the link below for this full story:

Nor'easter Brings More Wind, Water To Storm Battered East Coast

East Coast Can’t Catch a Break

As the east coast continues to pick up the mess left behind from Super-storm Sandy, New Jersey got a small, but interesting wakeup call on Monday morning. At 1:19am a 2.0 magnitude earthquake centered in Ringwood, NJ woke residents with a loud boom. This area still has damages and power outages from Sandy, so thankfully no damages from the earthquake have been reported. Being that this event occurred only a week after Sandy came through and devastated the east coast, many people wondered if this earthquake was caused by last week’s events.

According to Becky Oskin of Discovery News, “Even the second-most powerful hurricane on record can't cause an earthquake.” Geophysicist John Ebel also added, “It's very possible that the earthquake this morning would have occurred anyway even if we hadn't had Sandy come through.” Though researchers have documented cases where flooding caused an earthquake, these instances occurred when filling of large reservoirs behind dams (at least 100ft of water) were seen. Being that the storm surge of Sandy was about 10ft, the conditions do not look favorable to blame Sandy for the small quake.  

As if Hurricane Sandy and this minor earthquake didn’t cause enough chaos, the east coast is now preparing for a strong nor’easter heading their way. This weather is expected to hit the east coast tomorrow and Thursday; stay tuned to my blog posts to see what happens.

For more information, visit:

Minor Earthquake Shakes New Jersey

Did Sandy Cause New Jersey Earthquake?

New Jersey Geological and Water Survey

Sandy Gets Pricy

Now that Sandy has left its mark, estimates on the cost of damages are starting to pour in. Currently, estimates of economic damages from Sandy are between $30-50 billion. According to the L.A. Times, estimates of the economic losses from the storm reached $50 billion. These numbers come from severe property damage, subway shut-downs, and power outages. This past Thursday, Eqecat Incorporation estimated storm damages between $30-50 billion. Of that estimate, $10-20 billion will be insured. As devastating as these numbers are, according to Business Insider, these numbers are considerably low to that of Hurricane Katrina; which damages came in at $145 billion. So an answer to the pressing question still remains: How is Hurricane Sandy going to impact the already damaged U.S economy?

According to a recent report released by JPMorgan, “Hurricane Sandy may initially depress economic activity, then support it over time as rebuilding commences.” The report also stated that short term impacts are going to be high, but in the long run the impacts will be minimal.

The following chart shows monthly GDP after three major hurricane events:

In general, the affects of the hurricanes were very noticeable within the first couple months of the storm, which is followed by a more stable economy about 6 months out. According to Business Insider, the biggest impacts will be on housing, construction, and retail sales. Although there will be an initial decline in these areas, it will be followed by a boost in the purchasing of building materials, construction, some home sales, etc. This is something that was discussed when talking about direct and indirect gains/losses of disaster during lecture, so it will be interesting to see what the short term and long term effects of Hurricane Sandy are as more information becomes available. Also during lecture, we discussed why the government and insurance companies pay such close attention to storms, and stories like this are proof on why that is so important. 

For more information, visit:

What Hurricane Sandy Means For The U.S. Economy

EQECAT

Who Gets Sandy's Vote?

Not only did Hurricane Sandy tear up the east coast, she also stirred things up in the world of politics. During such a critical time in the election season, neither Obama nor Romney can afford any negativity attached to them. With a massive natural disaster such as Sandy, these candidates are walking on a slippery slope which could make for a quick defeat; as former President George W. Bush learned all too well as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

So which candidate has more of a spotlight on him as a result of Sandy? After reading several articles on this topic, it seems to me that President Obama has been getting a lot of praise, even from republicans such as Governors Chris Christie (NY) and Bob McDonnell (VA). On the other hand, Governor Romney is getting some criticism for his storm relief rallies which have been said to seem more like political rallies. During a time like this, President Obama had an automatic upper-hand being that he is the Commander-in-Chief and gets to show his strengths as a leader.

Another aspect of this event that is helping President Obama is FEMA’s admirable response to Hurricane Sandy. FEMA had a lot on the line with this election, as Governor Romney has made it clear he wants to shut down FEMA. Though there is a lot of praise being thrown in President Obama’s direction, the voter turnout due to this super storm could pose a problem for him.
From the articles I read, it seems very unlikely that Election Day will be postponed for the areas affected by Sandy. With that being said, it is highly unlikely that the cleanup process will be complete in order to make transportation to voting polls easy. Millions of people rely on public transportation, which could play a big role as to how many middle and lower class citizens will have access to voting, as compared to upper class citizens, and people who have their own means of transportation.

In all, there are many factors that could swing this election. With many areas faced with severe damages, and storms that are still to come in swing states such as Ohio, it will be interesting to see what the outcome of this election looks like.  

For more information on this topic, visit the following links:

A Tale of Two Storms

Will Sandy Help Obama?

East Coast Prepares for the Arrival of Sandy

Waves slam into the sea wall in Scituate, Massachusetts- CNN News.

If you haven't heard about Hurricane Sandy, you've been living under a rock. Search and rescue teams, government officials, and citizens along the east coast have been preparing for this storm for well over a week now, and the effects are already being seen. Hundreds of people are under mandatory evacuation, 2.2 million people are without power, and many areas are under a mandatory curfew. Atlantic City in New Jersey is currently seeing horrible conditions, as water levels are rising due to the high tide time. In New York, not only are schools, companies and subways/public transportation closed, but the New York Stock Exchange has voluntarily closed. This is the first time the New York Stock Exchange has closed since September 11th, 2001. Another alarming issue is the amount of snow that is estimated to hit the mountains of West Virginia, which has declared a state of emergency. This ''Frankenstorm' is interesting because of how far north it is. Usually storms of this type aren't seen this far north. On top of that, the pressure in these areas is currently very low (Sandy had a minimum pressure of 943 millibars). Generally speaking, the lower the pressure, the worse the storm.
As I am writing this blog, I am also watching CNN News, which just announced that Sandy has been named a post tropical storm. With hundreds of thousands of search and rescue personnel ready, and mandatory evacuations in place, it's my hope that people will be smart and move to a safer location until this storm has passed. The media is a powerful thing, and during the last several days the severity of this storm has been the top priority of the news. I will continue to follow this super-storm during and after. I am eager to see how much damage this storm will produce especially with the record high flooding and extremely high winds.

For more information, visit:
CNN News

National Hurricane Center

Debate Lacks Issue of Global Warming...Again.

Even in the third and final debate between President Obama and Governor Romney, the issue of global warming was hardly discussed. Any time the issue was even close to being debated, the topic got turned around to gas prices for the most part. Though it’s hard to say without a doubt what the two candidates believe in regards to global warming since it isn’t talked about much, we have an idea of what each of them thinks.

Though Governor Romney does believe that global warming is occurring and we as humans are a contributing factor, Romney opposes President Obama’s coal power-plant treatments and opposes treating carbon dioxide as a pollutant. As stated in an earlier post, President Obama has made some drastic changes to help the environment. There are greenhouse gas standards for cars and stricter power-plant requirements.

So why is global warming such a big issue, and why should it be talked about by the candidates? As many of us know, this past July was the hottest year ever recorded in the United States. Along with that, this past year is on the right track to be listed as the nation’s warmest. Scientists are also blaming global warming for more weather disasters. Along with this, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that, “Climate changes are already estimated to cause over 150,000 deaths annually.”

 
So before you go out and vote, make sure you do your research on where these two candidates stand in terms of global warming. It is so important that we continue to do what we can to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide, and other heat trapping toxins that are being put into the environment. If we want the youth to have a safe and prosperous future, we have to help save the planet we all live on.

For more information, visit:
Candidates and Climate Change: Why it Matters

Hurricane Sandy Hits Cuba

Cuban residents remove their boat from the water to prepare for Hurricane Sandy.

 

 

This morning, Hurricane Sandy made its way to eastern Cuba with damaging winds leaving many homes and crop fields in disarray. Even after ripping through the eastern portion of Cuba, Sandy didn’t lose speed and continued to head towards the Bahamas. According to the U.S National Hurricane Center, Sandy emerged off of Cuba’s north coast around dawn at 16mph, with winds reaching 105mph as it approached the Bahamas. So far, the death toll from Hurricane Sandy is at least 2. An elderly man in Jamaica and a woman in Haiti were both killed during the hit of Hurricane Sandy. Thankfully however, Cuba was grateful that there were no causalities when Sandy hit today. Even with the loss of many crops and damages to homes, one Cuban resident stated, “We’ll move forward. We’ll get out of this hole as we have many other times before.”  The Cuban government is well-known for its rapid response to natural disasters, so with mitigation plans, and disaster response in place, it seems that Cuba was well prepared for yet another hurricane to hit. To the Caribbean, a hurricane is nothing out of the ordinary which decreases the vulnerability of Cuba’s residents. However, even with the preparedness of Cuba, officials are concerned about other small mountain villages that have still not been heard from, and may not have been ready for the hit.  

 

For more information on this story, visit:

Hurricane Sandy Cuts Deadly Path Across Caribbean

 

Track Hurricane Sandy



Today's Forecast: Politics

The facts are there, the stats are there, and yet the topic of climate change is still gravely missing in this year’s presidential debates. So why is it that a serious issue such as climate changes is hardly being touched on by candidates in this year’s election? For those who watched the first presidential debate and the vice presidential debate, you may have had the same questions I did. Why is this issue not being addressed? Does Mitt Romney have a plan to reduce our impacts on the environment? Does he even think that climate change is an issue? What exactly does President Obama suggest we do to address the seriousness of climate change?

As a future science teacher and an advocate for the planet (being that it’s my home), I find that it is necessary for President Obama and Governor Romney to take some time to discuss this ongoing issue. According to Richard Harris of NPR, scientists view climate change as one of the world’s most serious long term problems. Being that it is such a serious issue, I found it a little alarming when governor Romney stood on stage during the Republican National Convention and laughed as he stated, “President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans," he said, pausing for the applause and laughter to rise, "and to heal the planet.” On the contrary, a week later during the Democratic National Convention President Obama addressed this comment by saying, “Change is not a hoax. More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke. They are a threat to our children's future. And in this election, you can do something about it."

I understand that Governor Romney is not that only person who thinks climate change is not a problem, however in my opinion, the facts are there. You can type ‘global warming’ into Google and find hundreds of credible sources regarding this very serious issue; and though President Obama and Governor Romney have been talking about important issues regarding the future, if we continue to destroy our planet and not address climate change, what kind of future will the youth really have?

Though this issue hasn't been addressed much during this election season, there has been slight progress made. When President Obama was first elected into office, climate change was one of his main focuses. During a talk in Copenhagen, President Obama pledged to reduce U.S. emissions by 17 percent over 2005 levels by the year 2020. President Obama also pressed to get more aggressive action out of China, India and the world's other biggest carbon dioxide emitters. However, President Obama's plans didn't make it past the opposition of Republican leaders in congress.

Even with opposition in congress however, the following accomplishments to address climate change have been made: First, there were greenhouse gas standards for cars put into place. There have also been power plant requirements (proper waste disposal, etc.) as well as an increase in more efficient appliances.

Though many websites are biased and are either right-winged or left-winged, it is necessary we get these two candidates talking about the issue of climate change. For many swing voters, this issue could make or break their decision at the polls. It will be interesting to see what will happen in the third and final debate on October 22^nd, and if climate change will be a topic of discussion.

For this full story, and others regarding this topic, visit the following pages:

NPR: Climate Politics

Tom Brokaw: Why Haven't Presidential Debates Discussed Climate Change?

Climate Silence

Swing Voters Go Green

Antarctic Sea Ice Hits...Record High?

Sea ice extent around Antarctica on September 26. Yellow line shows median September sea ice extent from 1979 to 2000.
Illustration Courtesy of: Jesse Allen, EO/NASA/NSIDC

With opposition still out there on the topic of global warming, there are still many questions to be answered and research to be done. For example, a recent study was done showing that Antarctic sea ice is actually increasing. So what does this mean? Is this statistic in favor for those who are opposed to the severity of climate change? How can the amount of sea ice in the Antarctic be increasing, along with the temperatures around the world? To find out some of these answers, Daniel Stone of National Geographic News talked to Eric Rignot, a NASA researcher and professor of earth systems at UC Irvine.

When asked about the growing amount of sea ice in the Antarctic, compared to the more often news of shrinking amounts of ice, Rignot responded with the following statement:

“If the world was warming up uniformly, you would expect the sea ice cover to decrease in the Antarctic, but it's not. The reason for that is because the Antarctic is cooler than the rest of the world. It's warming up as well but not as fast as other places.” Rignot went on to say that the difference between the warming world and freezing cold Antarctica is increasing. Along with this, the depletion of the ozone in the Stratosphere in the Antarctic is causing cooler temperatures there.

Stone also asked Rignot if this is good news for us, being that so much data has come out about the amount of stress our climate system is under. Rignot stated that the discovery of the increased amount of sea ice in Antarctica is consistent with their understanding of global warming. Rignot also said that, “The Antarctic has not been warming up as fast as the models thought. It's warming up, but slower. So it's all consistent with a warming planet.”

With many skeptics still out there questioning the legitimacy of global warming, it will be interesting to see if this trend of growing sea ice in Antarctica continues, while temperatures continue to rise, and sea ice continues to disappear in other parts of the world.  

For more information on this story, visit:

Record High in Antarctic Sea Ice

Conditions for Fire are Favorable in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin DNR webpage shows that the current fire danger around Wisconsin is between moderate and high for most of the state. A moderate fire condition means that a fire can be started by a match or burning embers and can spread quickly. A high fire hazard means that fires can start readily from a match or sparks and spread at rapid speeds. Even though burning bans have been lifted in about 30 counties around Wisconsin, the DNR is urging people to not burn until the winds have died down and precipitation occurs. The DNR is also encouraging people to avoid burning in barrels. Also with this, hunters and ATV operators are being encouraged to use caution and be aware of potential sparks from their motor vehicles. Another danger that should be noted is that the disposal of ash from fireplaces, wood burners, etc. can spark a fire so caution should be used when disposing of these items.  With the spread of wildfires seen in the west, it is no wonder these favorable fire conditions are posing such a hazard for the state.

 

For more information on this story, visit the following links:
Fire Danger High Across Wisconsin
DNR Warns of Fire Danger

To view the current level of fire danger across the state, visit:
Wisconsin DNR Current Fire Danger

For information on how to obtain a burning permit, visit:
Wisconsin DNR Burn Permits

Lastly, for information on alternatives to burning, visit:
Wisconsin DNR Burning Alternatives

Update on Wisconsin's Colorama

As many of us saw, the last two weeks in Eau Claire were filled with beautifully colored leaves surrounding campus and the entire city. However the colorama in Eau Claire and the rest of the state, was short lived compared to usual. Travel Wisconsin currently released its fall color report (see link below) and the statistics show that with the exception of 5 counties near the southern portion of the state, the rest of Wisconsin has reached its peak for color this year; a handful of counties are even past peak. Usually, leaves reach their peak color during the last week in October and the first weeks of November, so this is a rare sight to see. As mentioned in my blog on September 10^th, 2012, the drought has had major impacts on color change, which we have seen first-hand here in Wisconsin. With a lack of water for the trees, leaves find it much harder to produce the carbohydrates they need to grow. Leaves use carbohydrates to produce chlorophyll, which gives leaves their color. In turn, without carbohydrates, leaves have a short lived colorama, or many trees lose their leaves before they have a chance to change color. Another factor that impacts the colorama of fall is of course wind, which Eau Claire has seen a lot of lately. Although the colorama has reached its peak for most of the state, it’s safe to say that the couple of weeks that we got to experience the leaves changing color here in Eau Claire was a beautiful sight to see.

 

See the link below for more information on the fall color report!   

Fall Color Report- Travel Wisconsin

Lead and Mercury Exposure linked to ADHD

Recently, a study was done releasing information on the links between lead and mercury exposure, and ADHD. This study was done by researchers at Laval University in Quebec, where teachers of 279 students ranging from 8-14 years of age were surveyed. The study found that children who are exposed to higher levels of lead and mercury are 3 to 5 times more likely to show signs of ADHD. This study was of Inuit people living in Arctic Quebec, and is the first study to show high rates of ADHD symptoms in children exposed to large amounts of mercury in the womb; which most likely comes from the consumption of beluga whale meat. Along with this, the study found that children exposed to the same low levels of lead that many children in the U.S are, also showed more signs of hyperactivity. Developmental psychologist Gina Muckle finds this information very important because it links the dangers of mercury and lead exposures to children. Some may question why when this study was done on Inuit children in Arctic Quebec would it have any importance to us here in the United States. Dr. Muckle answered this concern by stating, “At similar levels of exposure without regard of the source of exposure, the effect should be similar.” Dr. Bruce Lanphear, a professor at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver also said that there is growing concern about the many different environmental toxins that are being associated with ADHD in children. This story is a good example of taking the complexity approach, and linking the connections of the environment and society.

 

Consumption of beluga whale meat is directly correlated with mercury exposure in newborns

 

 

For more information on this study, visit:

Kids exposed to mercury or lead more likely to have ADHD symptoms, Canadian study finds

 

 



 

Great Barrier Reef Coral Seeing Massive Decline

Today, scientists that were involved in a study of Australia’s coral reef reported that thus far, this is the most extensive loss of coral seen. Scientists stated that since 1985, the amount of coral covering the Great Barrier Reef has been cut in half; dropping the reef coverage from 28% to 13.8%. What’s even more interesting is that 2/3 of the decline in coral happened between 1998 and now. According to John Bruno, coral expert and professor at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, this first red flag on the depletion of the reef was seen in 2007. Even though this coral depletion was seen 5 years ago, the alarming rate at which the coral has currently depleted has Bruno, and other experts shocked. So what’s causing this depletion? Tropical storms account for 48% of the depletion while coral predation by crown-of-thorns starfish accounts for 42% of the depletion. Along with this, 10% of the depletion is being caused by coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is when coral ejects the algae that give it its color. This coral bleaching is caused by stresses such as pollution and warming of the sea. Even though tropical storms are out of our control, experts say there are steps that can be taken to save the coral. If fertilizer and other nutrient-rich pollution are taken out of the water, coral could increase at a rate of about one percent per year. This is because with a reduction in fertilizer and nutrient rich pollution also comes a reduction in crown-of-thorns starfish. The authors of this newly released study also mentioned, however, that if nothing is done to preserve the coral, it is estimated that the coral reef will decline another 10% over the next ten years. Even with reducing starfish populations however, scientists say that climate change needs to be stabilized or the coral will continue to decrease. The debate on climate change is very popular right now, especially with the current presidential campaign underway, so it will be interesting to see what, if anything is done to stop climate change, and the reduction of the coral reef soon.

For more information on this newly released study, along with a slideshow and video footage of the coral reef, visit:

Great Barrier Reef coral seeing 'major decline,' scientists report

Meat Prices Will Continue to Rise Next Year

Along with a rise in animal feed due to the drought this year, comes a rise in meat prices for customers. In just two months, the cost of chicken and pig feed spiked two dollars from $14.77 on July 2^nd, to $16.79. Even more drastic of prices were seen in pig pellet which went from $12.22 in July to $15.06; and according to farm owner Julie Stinar, these prices are bound to get a lot worse. Currently, Stinar, along with other farm owners, are charging about $1.00 per pound more than usual for sausage, pork chops and bacon. So what does this mean for customers? According to Jamie Stachowski, butcher shop owner in Washington, meat lovers may choose to switch from primary cuts (such as prime rib and NY Strips) to secondary cuts, in order to save money. In all, it is clear that with the drought comes affects to not only the environment, but the community as well. As long as the price for animal feed continues to rise, so will the price of not only meat, but fruits and vegetables as well. It will be interesting to see how these change throughout the next year.   

 

For more information on this story, visit the following article:

Extended drought means price of meat will likely rise next year

 

For more articles related to the drought, visit this Fox 6 News Milwaukee archive:

http://fox6now.com/tag/drought/

 

 

Nuclear Power Plants Found in Tsunami Risk Zones

Recently, a study led by European researchers found that 22 nuclear power plants are susceptible to the dangers of tsunamis, much like the Fukushima power plant that suffered a partial meltdown due to a tsunami back in March of 2011. Most of the 23 power plants found were in east and southeast regions of Asia, according to researchers. Of these 23 power plants, 13 of them are active while the remaining 10 are almost completed, or are being redesigned to make room for more reactors. With the nuclear crisis that was seen in Fukushima, it is alarming that there are 22 other power plants that are at the same kind of dangerous risk. What’s even more alarming is that even after the Fukushima crisis, there has been a rise in atomic power; China currently holds 27 out of the world’s 64 nuclear reactors that are under construction. Of these 27 reactors being built, 19 of them are under construction in what are considered to be dangerous areas. Japan also has 7 plants in risk zones, while South Korea has 2.
The effects of Fukushima were devastating, and another meltdown like this would once again have devastating effects on humans and the environment. During the Fukushima meltdown, thousands of people had to leave their homes, and many were at risk of exposure to radiation. Along with this, well over half of the radioactivity from Fukushima was dumped into the Pacific Ocean; leaving devastating effects on the environment. So why is it that with the hazards of tsunamis in relation to these power plants known that these power plants are still being built in high risk areas? There is no clear answer to this question. However, for as long as power plants are being built in high risk areas, it is pertinent that energy officials in these countries educate themselves and the community so everyone knows how to deal with these issues if/when catastrophe strikes. 

This GeoEye satellite image shows the nuclear reactors (labeled) at the Fukushima Daiichi plant after the earthquake and tsunami hit northeastern Japan.
CREDIT: GeoEye

For more information on this story, visit:

Study Finds Nuclear Plants in Tsunami Risk Zones

 




Suspicious Hazardous Waste in Northwestern Wisconsin

The Wisconsin DNR is looking for our help in finding out who is responsible for hazardous waste being dumped in northwestern Wisconsin. Around Labor Day weekend, officials found a variety of coatings, paint and solvent waste dumped in Siren, in Burnett County. This hazardous waste was also seen in Frederic and Polk County. This dumping was found on both public and private land, and there is still no lead on who is responsible for the dumping. Hazardous waste not only poses a health risk to wildlife, but it also pollutes groundwater which in turn poses serious health risks to people. These toxins need to be properly disposed of in order to greatly reduce the effects they have on humans and wildlife. Anyone with information is encourage to call the Wisconsin DNR tip line at 1-800-TIP-WDNR (1-800-847-9367). Those who have any information on who has set up these dump sites, or those who have come across a hazardous waste site are encouraged to call.

An image of some of the toxic waste found in northwestern Wisconsin

For more information on this story please visit:

DNR Investigates Illegal Hazardous Waste Dumping

For information on hazardous waste and ways to properly dispose of it, visit:

Wisconsin DNR