Environment – Page 97

California Zero Water Allocation

Posted on 2014/02/032014/02/14 by admin

Though much of the United States has been experiencing a cold, high precipitation winter, California has had extreme drought and fire conditions. The State Water Project announced the state reservoir will “effectively be closed for business.”

“This is the most serious drought we’ve faced in modern times,” Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the State Water Resources Control Board said. “We need to conserve what little we have to use later in the year, or even in future years.”

“Today’s action is a stark reminder that California’s drought is real,” said Gov. Jerry Brown. “We’re taking every possible step to prepare the state for the continuing dry conditions we face.”

“The exceptional drought extends from north to south across parts of 11 counties including, southeast Santa Cruz, far southern Santa Clara, San Benito, Merced, western Fresno, eastern Monterey, eastern San Luis Obispo, western Kern, western Madera, Kings and southwest Tulare,” notes weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce.

“Truly staggering was the fact that some locations picked up less than half the precipitation in 2013 of their previous record dry year, including Santa Cruz, Calif. (4.78″ vs. old record of 11.85″ in 1929) and the north San Francisco Bay suburb of Kentfield (7.80″ vs. old record of 20.30″ in 1939),” writes weather.com meteorologist Jon Erdman.

Record Breaking Cold Weather and Global Warming

Posted on 2014/01/07 by admin

Since we began studying global warming, there has been one thing all scientists could agree on — man-made warming of the Earth will cause an increase in extreme weather events.

We are not saying that the Earth’s temperature is just going to rise. In general, as energy is added to a system, the fluctuations in the system increase. So, we expect more storms, more droughts, more wildfires, more floods, more fluctuations of all kinds. What we are saying is that weather conditions will become more volatile due to the impact of humans. — Sidd Mukherjee & Daniel Brouse (2004)

When it come to the record breaking low temperatures of 2013 and 2014 in the United States, some people are tying to diminish the importance of curbing global warming. The extreme events appear to give some humans the excuse to be delusional about human induced climate change. However, at this point in time, it is the ocean temperature we need be most concerned about. The changes we are seeing help cause the increase in volatility and extreme weather events.

Sorry to say, the ocean temperature is rising more rapidly than scientist had predicted. Because of the way the Earth is warming, island nations are feeling the heat. In fact, 2013 was the warmest year on record in Australia.

Hottest Year On Record

Posted on 2014/01/06 by admin

AUSTRALIA — Data collected and analyzed by the Bureau of Meteorology show that 2013 was Australia’s warmest year on record while rainfall was slightly below average nationally.

Summer 2012–13 was the warmest on record nationally, spring was also the warmest on record and winter the third warmest
Overall, 2013 was Australia’s warmest year on record: annual national mean temperature was +1.20 °C above average
All States and the Northern Territory ranked in the four warmest years on record
Nationally-averaged rainfall was slightly below average for the year, with 428 mm (1961–1990 average 465 mm)
Rainfall was mostly below average for the inland east and center, and above average for the east coast, northern Tasmania and parts of Western Australia

2013 was Australia’s warmest year since records began in 1910. Mean temperatures across Australia have generally been well above average since September 2012. Long periods of warmer-than-average days have been common, with a distinct lack of cold weather. Nights have also been warmer than average, but less so than days.

The Australian area-averaged mean temperature for 2013 was +1.20 °C above the 1961–1990 average. Maximum temperatures were +1.45 °C above average, and minimum temperatures +0.94 °C above average. Temperatures were above average across nearly all of Australia for maximum, mean and minimum temperatures, with large areas of inland and southern Australia experiencing the highest on record for each.

Australia has experienced just one cooler-than-average year (2011) in the last decade. The 10-year mean temperature for 2004–2013 was 0.50 °C above average, the equal-highest on record. Averages for each of the ten-year periods from 1995–2004 to 2004–2013 have been amongst the top ten records.

The Australian mean rainfall total for 2013 was 428 mm (37 mm below the long-term average of 465 mm). In comparison with rainfall in all years since 1900, 2013 sits close to the median or mid-point of historical observations.

Annual rainfall was below average across a large region of the inland east centered on western Queensland and extending into northern South Australia and the Northern Territory. Rainfall was above average over parts of the Pilbara and the south coast of Western Australia, as well as along the east coast and northern Tasmania.

More On Global Warming and Climate Change

Realities of Climate Change

Posted on 2013/11/072013/11/07 by admin

UNITED STATES — Sea level rise is accelerating. The number of large wildfires is growing. Dangerous heat waves are becoming more common. Extreme storm events are increasing in many areas. More severe droughts are occurring in others.

These are just some of the consequences of global warming, which are already having significant and harmful effects on our health, our environment, and our communities.

Unless we take immediate action to address global warming, these consequences will continue to intensify, grow ever more costly, and increasingly affect the entire planet — including you, your community, and your family.

Global warming is happening now.

The planet’s temperature is rising. The trend is clear and unmistakable.

Every one of the past 35 years has been warmer than the 20th century average. The 12 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998. 2012 was the hottest year ever recorded for the contiguous United States.

Globally, the average surface temperature has increased more than one degree Fahrenheit since the late 1800s. Most of that increase has occurred over just the past three decades.
We are the cause.

We are overloading our atmosphere with carbon dioxide, which traps heat and steadily drives up the planet’s temperature. Where does all this carbon come from? The fossil fuels we burn for energy — coal, natural gas, and oil — plus the loss of forests due to deforestation, especially in the tropics.
The scientific evidence is clear.

Within the scientific community, there is no debate: An overwhelming majority of climate scientists agree that global warming is happening and that human activity is the primary cause.

This broad consensus — and the extensive scientific evidence that supports it — is often downplayed or distorted by a small but vocal minority of special interests that have a vested interest in delaying action on climate change.
We have a choice.

We can act now to reduce our carbon emissions, slow the pace of global warming, and pass on a safer, healthier world to our children. Or we can choose to do nothing, continue pumping massive amounts of carbon into an already overloaded atmosphere, and suffer the increasingly costly consequences.

At UCS, we believe the choice is clear: We must take steps now to reduce our global warming emissions.
Together we can tackle global warming.

We have the practical solutions and technologies at hand to substantially reduce our emissions, create a clean energy economy, and establish the United States as a global leader in innovation.

To accomplish it, we must:

Demand action from our elected leaders
Take simple, practical steps to reduce our personal carbon emissions
Aggressively fight misinformation about global warming
Prepare our cities and communities for the growing impacts of climate change

Working together, we can do it — and you can help make it happen. Take action today!

Sea Serpents Washing Ashore

Posted on 2013/10/232013/10/23 by admin

CALIFORNIA — Two rare oarfish have washed up on California beaches. A dead 18-foot-long oarfish was found off Catalina Island on October. 13. A 14-foot-long oarfish carcass was found on Oct. 18 in Oceanside, CA.

Oarfish can grow to more than 50 feet in length and are considered the longest fish. Their appearance has led to many theories of sea serpents.

Japanese folklore believes the beaching of oarfish predicts earthquakes — “a notion that some scientists have speculated could be supported by the bottom-dwelling fish being more sensitive to seismic shifts.”

“It’s probably just a coincidence,” said Rick Feeney of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. “We think that they come inshore to die actually because they’re in distress for some reason, but we don’t know what the reason is,” said Feeney, adding that the fish could have been starving or disoriented.

However, the one found off Catalina Island has been dissected and found to be healthy. “It looks good enough to eat – if you have a 13ft pan,” biologist Ruff Zetter said.

Climate Change in the United States

Posted on 2013/10/17 by admin

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says:

The Earth’s climate is changing. Temperatures are rising, snow and rainfall patterns are shifting, and more extreme climate events—like heavy rainstorms and record high temperatures—are already affecting society and ecosystems. Scientists are confident that many of the observed changes in the climate can be linked to the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, caused largely by people burning fossil fuels to generate electricity, heat and cool buildings, and power vehicles.

EPA is working with many other organizations to better understand the causes and effects of climate change. With help from these partners, EPA has compiled a set of 26 indicators tracking signs of climate change. Most of these indicators focus on the United States, but some include global trends to provide context or a basis for comparison. These indicators represent a selected set of key climate change measurements, and are not an exhaustive group of all climate change indicators. EPA’s indicators are based on peer-reviewed data from various government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations. EPA selected these indicators based on the quality of the data and other criteria.

EPA published these indicators in a comprehensive report in December 2012. Indicators will be updated periodically on the Web as newer data become available.

Use this site to learn more about EPA’s indicators related to greenhouse gases, weather and climate, oceans, snow and ice, and society and ecosystems.

First Global Pollution Tax

Posted on 2013/10/082013/10/08 by admin

The United Nations’ aviation agency (International Civil Aviation Organization) approved the initial steps in implementing a worldwide tax on greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes. If the proposal gets accepted, it would take effect in 2022.

The European Union had been seeking a more robust agreement:
“While we would have liked more countries to accept our regional scheme, progress was made overall,” the EU’s Climate Change Commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, said in a statement. “We will now factor this in when, together with the member states and the European Parliament, we decide on the way forward with the EU ETS (Emissions Trading Scheme).”

At least the United Nations initiative would invoke the first global effort to reduce greenhouse gases and hopefully pave the way for reductions in other industries.

More on taxing pollution.
More on global warming.

Tax Pollution

Posted on 2013/10/082013/10/08 by admin

One of the only taxes that makes sense is a pollution tax. A progressive income tax is perhaps the worst type of taxation. Why would you want to tax people for being productive… then, tax them higher the more productive they are?

These countries currently have taxes on carbon emissions: Australia, India, South Korea, Japan, Europe (28 countries), Finland, The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, UK, Ireland, Costa Rica, South Africa, New Zealand.

Why doesn’t the United States have a pollution tax?

More about emissions trading.

Help stop global warming.

Death Of Ash Trees

Posted on 2013/10/07 by admin

Ash trees are dying for a variety of reasons. In the USA, Emerald Ash Borer is killing many trees. In Europe, the fungus Chalara is spreading and killing trees.

More about the decline of the forests.

Emerald Ash Borer
The signs and symptoms of an EAB attack

The symptoms an ash tree shows when it is infested with emerald ash borer are similar to symptoms caused by other ash pests or diseases in Wisconsin.

For example, crown dieback can occur due to EAB damage, but can also be the result of drought stress, soil compaction or verticillium wilt, just to name a few.

Therefore, it is important to look for a combination of at least two symptoms or signs when trying to figure out if emerald ash borer is in your ash tree. If you see two or more from the lists below report your findings here.

Symptoms

Crown dieback: Dieback of the upper and outer crown begins after multiple years of EAB larval feeding. Trees start to show dead branches throughout the canopy, beginning at the top. Larval feeding disrupts nutrient and water flow to the upper canopy, resulting in leaf loss. Leaves at the top of the tree may be thin and discolored. An example of this is shown below.

Epicormic Sprouting: When trees are stressed or sick, they will try to grow new branches and leaves wherever they still can. Trees may have new growth at the base of the tree and on the trunk, often just below where the larvae are feeding. An example of this is shown in the picture above, where small branches are growing on the trunk, about 6 feet off the ground.

Bark splits: Vertical splits in the bark are caused due to callus tissue that develops around larval galleries. Larval galleries can often be seen beneath bark splits.

Woodpecker feeding: Woodpeckers eat emerald ash borer larvae that are under the bark. This usually happens higher in the tree where the emerald ash borer prefers to attack first. If there are large numbers of larvae under the bark the woodpecker damage can make it look like strips of bark have been pulled off of the tree. This is called “flecking.” An example of this is shown below.

Signs

D-shaped emergence holes: As adults emerge from under the bark they create a D-shaped emergence hole that is about 1/8 inch in diameter. An example of this is shown below.

S-shaped larval galleries: As larvae feed under the bark they wind back and forth, creating galleries that are packed with frass (larva poop) and sawdust and follow a serpentine pattern. An example of this is shown below.

Larvae: Larvae are cream-colored, slightly flattened (dorso-ventrally) and have pincher-like appendages (urogomphi) at the end of their abdomen. By the time larvae are done growing they are 1 1/2 inches long. Larvae are found feeding beneath the bark.

Adults: Adult beetles are metallic green and about the size of one grain of cooked rice (3/8 – 1/2 inch long and 1/16 inch wide). Adults are flat on the back and rounded on their underside.

Chalara
Description

Chalara dieback of ash is a serious disease of ash trees caused by a fungus called Chalara fraxinea (C. fraxinea), including its sexual stage, Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus (H. pseudoalbidus). The disease causes leaf loss and crown dieback in affected trees, and usually leads to tree death.
Threat

It is potentially a very serious threat. It has caused widespread damage to ash populations in continental Europe, including estimated losses of between 60 and 90 per cent of Denmark’s ash trees. We have no reason to believe that the consequences of its entering the natural environment in Britain would be any less serious. Experience on the Continent indicates that it kills young ash trees very quickly, while older trees tend to resist it for some time until prolonged exposure causes them to succumb as well.
Susceptible species

Chalara fraxinea is especially destructive of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior), including its ‘Pendula’ ornamental variety. Narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) is also susceptible. Chalara dieback of ash is particularly destructive of young ash plants, killing them within one growing season of symptoms becoming visible. Older trees can survive initial attacks, but tend to succumb eventually after several seasons of infection.
Spread

Local spread, up to some tens of miles, may be by wind. Over longer distances the risk of disease spread is most likely to be through the movement of diseased ash plants. Movement of logs or unsawn wood from infected trees might also be a pathway for the disease, although this is considered to be a low risk.
Outbreak stage

Ash trees suffering with the infection have been found widely across Europe since trees believed to have been infected with this newly identified pathogen were reported dying in large numbers in Poland in 1992. These have included forest trees, trees in urban areas such as parks and gardens, and also young trees in nurseries.

In February 2012 it was found in a consignment of infected trees sent from a nursery in the Netherlands to a nursery in Buckinghamshire, England. Since then it has been found in young ash trees in a number and variety of locations in Great Britain, including urban landscaping schemes, newly planted woodland, and more nurseries.

In October 2012, Food & Environment Research Agency (FERA) scientists confirmed a small number of cases in Norfolk and Suffolk in ash trees at sites in the wider natural environment, including established woodland, which do not appear to have any association with recently supplied nursery stock. Further finds in trees in the wider environment have since been confirmed in a number of places, mostly on the eastern side of England and Scotland, and mostly concentrated in the south-eastern region of England. In May 2013 the first wider-environment case was found in south-west Wales, which is the farthest west site in Britain that a wider-environment case has been confirmed. (Map below)

C. fraxinea is now being treated as a quarantine pest under national emergency measures and any suspected sighting must be reported.

Hundreds of staff from government agencies checked ash trees across the UK for signs of the disease during early November 2012. It was one of several actions to emerge from a meeting of the Government’s emergency committee, COBR, chaired by Environment Secretary Owen Paterson.

Survey results

Plant health experts are also undertaking a survey of about a thousand sites which have received saplings from nurseries where Chalara dieback has been found.

National plans have been drawn up for Chalara.

Disappearing Ice Sheets, Glaciers and Arctic Sea Ice

Posted on 2013/09/282013/09/28 by admin

The U.N.’s panel on global warming warns:

Over the last two decades, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been losing mass, glaciers have continued to shrink almost worldwide, and Arctic sea ice and Northern Hemisphere spring snow cover have continued to decrease in extent (high confidence).

• The average rate of ice loss 8 from glaciers around the world, excluding glaciers on the periphery of the ice sheets 9, was very likely 226 [91 to 361] Gt yr−1 over the period 1971−2009, and very likely 275 [140 to 410] Gt yr −1 over the period 1993−2009 10. {4.3}

• The average rate of ice loss from the Greenland ice sheet has very likely substantially increased from 34 [–6 to 74] Gt yr –1 over the period 1992–2001 to 215 [157 to 274] Gt yr –1 over the period 2002–2011. {4.4}

• The average rate of ice loss from the Antarctic ice sheet has likely increased from 30 [–37 to 97] Gt yr –1 over the period 1992–2001 to 147 [72 to 221] Gt yr –1 over the period 2002–2011. There is very high confidence that these losses are mainly from the northern Antarctic Peninsula and the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica.

• The annual mean Arctic sea ice extent decreased over the period 1979–2012 with a rate that was very likely in the range 3.5 to 4.1% per decade (range of 0.45 to 0.51 million km 2 per decade), and very likely in the range 9.4 to 13.6% per decade (range of 0.73 to 1.07 million km 2 per decade) for the summer sea ice minimum (perennial sea ice). The average decrease in decadal mean extent of Arctic sea ice has been most rapid in summer (high confidence); the spatial extent has decreased in every season, and in every successive decade since 1979 (high confidence). There is medium confidence from reconstructions that over the past three decades, Arctic summer sea ice retreat was unprecedented and sea surface temperatures were anomalously high in at least the last 1,450 years. {4.2, 5.5}

• It is very likely that the annual mean Antarctic sea ice extent increased at a rate in the range of 1.2 to 1.8% per decade (range of 0.13 to 0.20 million km 2 per decade) between 1979 and 2012. There is high confidence that there are strong regional differences in this annual rate, with extent increasing in some regions and decreasing in others. {4.2}

• There is very high confidence that the extent of Northern Hemisphere snow cover has decreased since the mid-20th century (see Figure SPM.3). Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent decreased 1.6 [0.8 to 2.4] % per decade for March and April, and 11.7 [8.8 to 14.6] % per decade for June, over the 1967–2012 period. During this period, snow cover extent in the Northern Hemisphere did not show a statistically significant increase in any month. {4.5}

• There is high confidence that permafrost temperatures have increased in most regions since the early 1980s. Observed warming was up to 3°C in parts of Northern Alaska (early 1980s to mid-2000s) and up to 2°C in parts of the Russian European North (1971–2010). In the latter region, a considerable reduction in permafrost thickness and areal extent has been observed over the period 1975–2005 (medium confidence). {4.7}

• Multiple lines of evidence support very substantial Arctic warming since the mid-20th century. {Box 5.1, 10.3}