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/