Fighting for Air

By: Brita Belli

All of this climate change is really affecting of people's breathing around. (Belli) All of this change is leading to more ozone, more pollen, and more asthma. There have been reports from Bridgeport, Connecticut that people have been saying that they have trouble breathing. Jalyssa Moore from Connecticut is on a couple different inhalers and she needs to use it when there is cold air, weather changes, illness, and many allergies. (Belli) "The steroid-based inhalers have left Jalyssa with some muscle weakness that Kesher (mother of Jalyssa) says has been challenging. She has low upper body strength and low muscle strength in her legs". (Belli 1). 

"African-American children have the highest rates of asthma in the U.S., with 21% under the age of 18 having been diagnosed according to the most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hispanic children are the next most impacted, with 15% diagnosed compared to 12% of white children". (Belli). As you can see this is a huge issue and all of this money spent from these parents are coming out of their bank accounts and poor families just simply cannot pay for it. In addition, there are problems with public housing because of the mold, dust, mice and others that can really affect these children's asthma. Not only are these children affected from these different households, there is so much nitrogen dioxide in the air from power plants, factories that causes a lot of symptoms like coughing, chest pain, and shortness of breath. (Belli) The warm air is especially making the air even worse because of the sun resulting in more nitrogen dioxide. What we really need to do is better use our technology to help make our air healthier. (Belli)


http://www.emagazine.com/magazine/fighting-for-air

Fracking for Natural Gas May Help Us Save Water 

By: Bryan Walsh


"Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas is a water-intensive process—as critics love to point out. But by enabling the switch from thirsty coal to more efficient natural gas, fracking could be good for water scarcity" (Walsh 1). Many environmentalists are arguing that hydrofracking uses way too much water. Any average of 4 to 6 million gallons are used when there is fracking of either oil or gas. (Walsh) Even though there have been arguments, there have been new studies that have been done saying that fracking for natural gas saves water. What's correct? "Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin collected water use data from all 423 of the state’s power plants. They estimate that the water saved by switching from coal to natural gas is 25 to 50 times greater than the amount of water used in fracking to extract the shale gas in the first place". (Walsh 1). Researchers then soon discovered that Texas had consumed a larger amount of water, compared to times in the past. Irrigation is one of the most used water sources because of the several techniques that can be used. The U.S. has suffered from droughts in the past, so we need to be more aware of how much water is being used because sooner or later, water is will be so hard to get that we will be forced to shut down power plants. "Water use for fracking in Texas is also growing rapidly, from 36,000 acre-feet in 2008 to 81,500 acre-feet in 2011" (Walsh 1). To help with these problems, we need to start recycling this water from the fracking or create a substitute for all of this water use. This will test how our country is able to efficiently use these almost scarce resources. (Walsh)



http://science.time.com/2013/12/23/fracking-for-natural-gas-isnt-so-water-wasteful/

A Newly Discovered Underground Lake in Greenland Will Help Us Understand Climate Change 

By: Bryan Walsh

Being that the Earth is more than 4.5 billion years old, there are more and more discoveries each year. (Walsh) "Scientists have discovered a gigantic liquid water reservoir underneath Greenland's massive ice sheet". (Walsh 1). Nobody really saw this coming when glaciologists were in Greenland, drilling holes and there were no predictions on this discovery in 2011. "This aquifer is more than 27, 000sq. miles large-bigger than West Virginia" (Walsh 1). When looking at this, it would not be on the surface. When considering the temperatures throughout the year in Greenland, we see that there is always so much ice on the top surface. When the team was drilling these holes, they had noticed liquid water dripping, when the temperatures are below freezing. After analyzing this in 2013 recently, Lora Koenig had discovered that the temperature throughout this aquifer was at 32 degrees, which was not very near freezing point. This glaciologist thinks that the snow had changed the temperature of the aquifer because the snow had kept it from freezing. "The volume of the aquifer- which is fed by meltwater that flows through the Greenland ice sheet- is immense, and estimated 154 billions tons of water. That would be enough by itself to raise global sea level by 0.016 in. were the entire background lake to flow into the oceans". (Walsh 1). With this discovery, scientists can see how the liquid water moves in the ice sheets in Greenland. (Walsh) This will really help the scientists understand Greenland;s relationship with climate change, when looking towards the future. (Walsh)



http://science.time.com/2013/12/27/newly-discovered-underground-aquifer-greenland/

Fish Found: The Greatest Conservation Success Story of 2013? 

By: John R. Platt 


On December 23, a new species was found which was originally predicted to be no more. (Platt) This fish is called the Mangarahara cichlid (Ptychochromis insolitus). This fish is originally only found off of Madagascar. This species is extremely rare and most of the species had been destroyed. After this devastation, there were only three male fish remaining, representing this species. In order to help this species, the London Zoo Aquarium and Berlin Zoo sent out a note to other aquariums asking if any of them had any females of this species to see if this female needed a male to mate with. There was not much hope and when searching for a female. Then, "the Zoological Society of London announced that a group of Mangarahara cichlids has indeed been found. Not only that, they were actually still living in the wild". (Platt 1). 

The person who got back to the Society of London was a business owner who had remembered and had seen the fish once before in a Madagascar town. (Platt) So, "An exploratory expedition was arranged with the vital support from HM Ambassador in the British Embassy of Madagascar, so that, along with aquarists from Toronto Zoo in Canada, Brian Zimmerman and Kienan Parbles from ZSL London Zoo could head off to Madagascar to search for the Mangarahara cichlid". (Platt 1). The teams searching everywhere to find the cichlid. They were able to use nets from local villagers and finally found the remaining cichlids. (Platt)



http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/2013/12/23/greatest-conservation-success-2013/

E.U. Climate Chief Says U.N. Talks Hinge on 2015 Deal 

By: Karl Ritter


What are we going to do about global warming? It almost seems like nothing concrete is occurring. (Ritter) In Warsaw, Poland, a U.N. conference was a just completed about the climate and what the future plans should be. "The European Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard says the process needs to provide a "substantial answer" to global warming in two years to remain relevant." (Ritter 1). All of these questions are being asked and there is no complete answer. If this uncertainty keeps on occurring the U.N. needs to start having more meetings about the climate. People are now suggesting that all of the topics spoken during the conference should be broken up into pieces to get more ideas out and things done. All of this carbon gas is warming the planet and the U.N. has completely failed to do something effective. "Besides those emissions, the U.N. talks deal with a range of complex issues, including monitoring and verification of climate actions, accounting rules, and helping developing countries cope with sea level rise, desertification and other climate impacts as they transition to clean energy". (Ritter 1). These developing countries need work in industrialization, not more and improved technology. (Ritter)

During this conference, countries were arguing throughout the course of two weeks and ended in a complete unknown. (Ritter) There were no concrete or set ideas that were settled in this conference. These countries were speaking about the way to do things and simple explanations that should not be irrelevant when making plans about climate. Meanwhile, local and national governments are making many efforts to reduce carbon energy and increase efficiency. (Ritter) In fact, this year, China and the United States decided to partner up to help with energy efficiency. "The U.N. is the one place where all countries come together and everyone has a voice. World leaders simply need to set their sights higher and empower their teams to engage in a more constructive way. Without much greater ambition and action, we will soon be headed to a far more turbulent and dangerous world". (Jennifer Morgan). 


http://science.time.com/2013/11/25/e-u-climate-chief-says-u-n-talks-hinge-on-2015-deal/

Visitors from Beyond the Galaxy Reach the Antarctic 

By: Michael D. Lemonick  

For so many years astronomers have been trying to detect infrared light, ultraviolet light, and gamma rays. (Lemonick) "They've seen bursts of energy from black holes halfway across the universe, blips of radio noise from neutron starts spinning at hundreds of revolutions per second, and even the faint glow of microwaves emitted more than 13 billion years ago, in the immediate aftermath of the Big Bang itself". (Lemonick 1). What these scientists are ultimately trying to look more into are neutrinos. This is a very difficult process because neutrinos are particles that move so rapidly. They usually are traveling throughout the universe in packs, passing through our bodies. 

In order to help to see these amazing neutrinos, a neutrino telescope was developed by many scientists from twelve different countries. (Lemonick) This powerful telescope is called the IceCube which is set at the South Pole. By using the IceCube, scientists have discovered 28 neutrinos. Even though that this IceCube was successful, it was not the first telescope created. There was another nuclear reactor throughout the 1950's, where neutrinos were detected. "But IceCube puts those earlier efforts to shame. It's made up of more than 5,000 individual detectors, strung on 86 cables and sunk up to 1.5 miles into the East Antarctic Ice Sheet". (Lemonick 1). Even though scientists say that they have seen the neutrinos, really they have seen a blue light called Cherenkov radiation. When looking at the intensity and the direction of this blue light, scientists are able to look at the energy level for intensity and the flight path for the direction. Out of the hundred thousand neutrinos detected throughout the first two years, only 28 were extragalactic. This number was around what people were saying was going to be. Overall, the IceCube is a successful new addition of helping us discover more neutrinos. (Lemonick)



http://science.time.com/2013/11/21/visitors-from-beyond-the-galaxy-reach-the-antarctic/

How Greenhouse Gases Saved Mars

By: Michael D. Lemonick 


"The same heat trapping processes that are causing so much trouble on Earth once made Mars a very pleasant place". (Lemonick 1). There have been so many arguments about what the atmosphere is made out of. The general things include carbon dioxide and water vapor but what is it, beyond that? Recent findings have been told in the Nature Geoscience that, "massive quantities of hydrogen gas belched from Martian volcanoes". (Lemonick). There are so many differences, when comparing the sun from now and the sun 3.8 billion years ago. "Not only is the planet again as far from the Sun's warmth as Earth is, but 3.8 billion years ago, when Martian rivers flowed, the Sun was only about three fourths as bright as it is today." (Lemonick 1). When first starting this project many years ago, scientists understood that the carbon dioxide was not the answer. When observing water, scientists found that when ice evaporates and turns into water vapor, that then turns into yet another greenhouse gas. Most of the leftover water would then fall to create other bodies of water. 

"Hydrogen is transparent to incoming solar light but blocks much of the resulting heat from escaping the same way other greenhouse gases do. On Earth we rarely see its effects since free hydrogen in our atmosphere combines too easily with other molecules". (Lemonick 1). Some factors of the atmosphere disappearing includes, Mar's gravity, solar wind, which would affect the outer layers of the atmosphere. This all remains unquestionable but scientists are still searching for more possibilities. (Lemonick)    
http://science.time.com/2013/11/25/how-greenhouse-gasses-saved-mars/

'Forest Giraffe' Now Endangered: Okapi Populations Drop 50 Percent in 18 years 

By: John R. Platt 


This past week, a new animal has been put on the endangered species list by the International Union for Conservation of Natural Resources. (Platt) The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is very rare and hard to find. This species is shockingly related to giraffes but have somewhat similar characteristics to the zebra and a large deer. People disagree and say that this animal should have been on the list, starting in 2008, but has not made it on until this past week. "This species has lost at least 50 percent of its population since 1995 due to poaching and habitat loss. The species had previously been listed under the Red List category of "near threatened", "(Platt 1).

The Okapi Specialist Group has reported that this species can only be found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Platt) There has been so much reoccurring violence throughout this area and this species has not been well payed attention to. The DRC has been remaining in civil conflict and suffering from extreme poverty. "The DRC already has laws in place to protect okapi, which are considered the country's national animal, but the constant presence of armed rebels and militias makes enforcement difficult if not impossible". (Platt). In result of this, the Okapi Conservation Project was created, which facilitated that this species is so important and there has to be specific changes made in order help these endangered animals. The organization realizes that these animals are officially marked on the endangered list and they need to be saved. (Platt)


http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/2013/11/25/okapi-endangered/ 

Three U.S. States and British Columbia to Ink Climate Pact

By: Reuters 


The U.S. states, California, Washington State, and Oregon plan to sign climate agreement also with the Canadian province of the British Columbia. (Reuters 1). Governor, Jerry Brown of California planned to host all of these governors of the states and the minister in San Francisco. This agreement is about bringing their climate opinions together and develop an important partnership between these four places. Their goal with this agreement is to improve plans for energy saving and helping the Earth. (Reuters 1).

"The agreement will be based on the recognition that the West Coast is bounded together by a common geography, shared infrastructure and a regional economy with a combined GDP of $2.8 trillion," according to a joint media advisory. In addition, their policies and programs will come together and become stronger. There has been talk that the agreement will also deal with a "carbon pricing component". (Reuters 1). There has been a relationship with Oregon, Washington, and California before. All of these states were apart of the Western Climate Initiative. Overall, this agreement between all of them can really strengthen their environmental programs and between all of them, they can share and bring new ideas to the table to help improve the environment. (Reuters 1)





http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=three-us-states-british-columbia-to-climate-change

Could Heat Waves Be Forecast 3 Weeks Out? 

By: Richard A. Lovett and Nature Magazine

Scientists have been researching the topic of heat waves and are now questioning the United States' heat wave. (Lovett 1). They have discovered an atmospheric circulation pattern and this only shows that the heat wave itself of the United States is more likely to happen than usual. The pattern that the scientists discovered showed a dangerous occurrence of heat spells. In addition to this heat wave, it will occur in 2-3 weeks before expected. (Lovett 1). Research that scientists have looked at show that some of the factors that have connected to this heat wave include, tropical conditions, sea temperatures, and the Asian monsoon. The scientists have been using the heat model to help to see if they can predict these heat waves, because the waves only occur every couple of years. Climate scientists have been analyzing the climate models for more information and trace of these heat waves. (Lovett 1). “The analysis revealed that major- heat waves were four times more likely to develop after a strong wave number-5 system formed at mid-latitudes. Haiyan Teng, a climate scientist, says that his particular pattern can stagnate, leading to slow-moving-high-pressure zones that can produce prolonged heat” (Lovett 1). The pattern only increases the possibility of a heat wave to 6%. This percentage is not high enough to display and distribute warnings that are putting people at risk. Any day in the summer, there is a 1.5% chance that it is a heat wave. Overall, the percentage is not high enough but when living in urban areas, people can be more prepared and there are ways to help cool. (Lovett 1). 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=could-heat-waves-be-forecast-3-weeks-out

Atlantic Hurricane Season Quietest in 45 Years 

By: Tom Brown 


Shockingly, the Atlantic hurricane season has been extremely quiet. (Brown 1) With the strongest storm only being a Category 1 hurricane, this season has marked the quietest in 45 years. After the shocking storm of Hurricane Sandy last year, people think that storms were only going to get worse from this point on. It is still possible that a storm could show up in the month of November, but so far, so good. This is a complete relief for all of the people who are living in hurricane zones. People are still recovering from Superstorm Sandy and its devastation.  (Brown 1) "That period is still playing out, fed primarily by warm ocean temperatures in the tropical Atlantic that fuel hurricanes. But instead of increased activity, 2013 almost  seems like a year when an enormous tranquilizer dart was fired into the heart of the main breeding ground for hurricanes", Jeff Masters,  a hurricane expert said. "The errant forest said 2013 would see above-average activity, with eight hurricanes and three would develop into major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher on the five-step Saffir-Simpson intensity scale" (Brown 1). 

Even the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said there would be around six or nine hurricanes. It hasn't been since 1994 that a huge or controversial hurricane has occurred. (Brown 1) Experts say that all of this information will make sense in the future. Like this year, there will be years where the predictions will be off and different. Its all about keeping up with all of the information and predictions to keep on estimating for the future (Brown 1).





http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=atlantic-hurricane-season-quietest

Why Australia's Wildfires Are So Extensive Now 

By: Stephanie Pappas and LiveScience 


In New South Wales, Australia, warm and dry winters have resulted in intense wildfires. (Pappas 1) These wildfires are negatively affecting the population and the nature in the surrounding areas. Australia is approaching the season of summer and is a lot of danger of wildfires but have also had many problems, which occurred in January. Smoke and ash can be seen in the air all throughout Sydney. "The past three months have been among the driest 10 percent on record in New South Wales", said Todd Lane, a meteorologist at Melbourne. (Pappas 1)

Australia has experienced 4 inches less rain, when compared to normal rain fall throughout the year. In addition, to the region being dry, it is also warmer. Winter temperatures were about 5 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the temperatures from the past reports. (Pappas 1) When these warm temperatures and decreased rainfalls are put together, they build a higher risk for wildfires. Four major fires have occurred throughout the NSW and there have been 53 smaller fires. All of these fires are putting natural areas and homes at risk. Furthermore, meteorologists have been predicting many winds and will really affect this environment. These winds will transition into huge gusts, which will then spread the fires into many other directions, so the people here really need to be prepared for the worst. "Complicating the response is the mountainous terrain where the fires are burning. Mountain wind is often 'stronger, gustier, and less predictable'. Eucalyptus forests may also be feeding the flames" (Lane 1). Overall, when looking at Australia, it is so common for this region to experience these wildfires, but they have been getting worse, especially because of these two components. The climate change really has a huge effect over these wildfires, when looking to the future. (Pappas 1)

 

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-australias-wildfires-are-so-extensive-now

After the Floods in Colorado, Deluge of Worry About Leaking Oil

By: Jack Healy 

The state of Colorado has been experiencing floods throughout the areas because of major storms. In result of these flooded areas, oil storage tanks were toppled. These waters flooded into Colorado's drilling centers, which then broke pipes and big oil tanks were thrown and pushed around different areas. (Healy 1) "The state has counted a dozen "notable" spills stemming from the catastrophic floods this month" (Healy 1). Now the waters are starting to spread throughout different areas and has caused debates over the West's new resource rush. Reporters have said that about 20, 000 oil and gas wells have traveled throughout Weld County. In addition, these floodwaters have spread and gotten to communities, after going down from mountains and traveling across the plains  (Healy 1). 

It has been said that 37,380 gallons of oil have spilled throughout the county so far. It was very lucky that the wells did not stop working because that would result in damages of storage tanks, contamination, or any other spills. The water has been tested for contaminated soil and researchers say that rivers, streams, and soil could have been taken over by oil (Healy 1).  Mr. Hickenlooper, a former oil geologist said, "Given the power of this flood, the fact that there hasn't been that much leakage is incredible". At this point, it has been about two weeks and this community still has a lot of clean up to do and lot of work to make up. There were 18,000 homes that were ruined or destroyed in this flood and ten people are dead because of this. In addition, it is still very difficult to get around in this area, with roads and bridges being closed. "Environmental activists say they still have multitude of unanswered questions about the extent of the damage here in drilling county- and they hope the spills will refocus attention on the environmental cost of energy drilling" (Healy 1). Overall, this flood was devastating and they hope help these towns in Colorado to get back up on their feet. 



http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/27/us/after-the-floods-a-deluge-of-worry-about-oil.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&ref=earth&adxnnlx=1380488546-PKw48ce+g/t4X0F30MAwfw

Dig This: Decline of Australian Digging Mammals Impact Entire Ecosystems 

By: John R. Platt 

A bandicoot, which only weighs about 1.4 kilograms, has been impacting the Australian ecosystems, because of it's digging. Bandicoots dig about 3.9 metric tons of soil each year. The digging of the bandicoot is from digging for food and creating nests. Who knew that these small animals would be impacting and affecting the ecosystems so much. "This digging provides a critical role for Australian ecosystems by turning soil, increasing nutrient cycling, creating avenues for water absorption, and burying plant seeds" (Platt 1). 

Overall, Australia's mammals are having some major problems. "In fact, of Australia's 29 species of digging marsupials and monotremes (egg-laying mammals), six have gone extinct, three are critically endangered and another nine are endangered or threatened" (Platt 1). Their habitats are being destroyed, which then results in more digging of soil from these animals. These are major effects and will stay with them in the future. There has been a report of no bandicoots, which then brings down other forests's ecosystems in Australia. This also results in higher tree mortality rates and a decrease of plant species variety in these ecosystems. (Platt 1) Many research also looks at how climate change has been affecting these mammals and has turned into a major study at the Center of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health. This diagram shows five ecosystem functions: 

 

In this case, these species burrow. These species end up digging extremely deep. The soil in Australia does not contain many nutrients and is lacking because its it not absorbing new components of nature, like leaves, plants, fungi, and animal feces. (Platt 1) Overall, bandicoots can really have a long-term effect on these ecosystems and the soil in Australia. 

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/2013/09/25/australian-digging-mammals/

Scientists Deploy Underwater Observatory to Track Warming, Acidification 

By Coleen Jose and ClimateWire

Scientists from the United States and Japan have created a machine that observes and takes measurements of many different things. This machine is used to measure temperature, physical, chemical, and biological data in the Pacific Ocean. This machine sits off the coast of Japan in Okinawa. The goal of creating this machine was to help understand and monitor the temperatures and better understand the aquatic wildlife in our pacific ocean. Scientists are trying to improve the machine, in order to monitor more miles of the Pacific Ocean. (Jose 1)

This machine was named the OceanCube. The OceanCube is located off the coast of Motobu Peninsula and is sits two miles from the shore. At a depth of 72 feet, this spot is great to explore the coral reefs, animals, plants, and the two major currents throughout the whole Pacific Ocean. Scott Gallager from WHOI had said, "The location is a highly diverse area for coral reef fish and for corals themselves. The idea is that we can quantify materials in a sample of water that will give us a base line of how the ocean responds to climate change and ocean acidification". This one of only a couple kind of monitoring machine in the world. Some characteristics of the OceanCube include, twice as big as a air conditioning machine, plastic and steel was used, and many cables to send information to the labs in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Plastic was used with this machine to help better protect it and the ten cameras, throughout the machine. These cameras make up a three-dimensional image and map of the environment underwater, measuring the currents, temperature, and wildlife. Gallager had said that his goal was to build more OceanCubes and to put them in oceans around the world, to better understand what is and what happens underwater. Some new location ideas include, the Arctic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. (Jose 2)


http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=scientists-deploy-underwater-observatory-to-track-warming-acidification

Cooler Year Fails to Shift Long-Term Trend of Arctic Sea Ice Melting 

By Christa Marshall and ClimateWire 

Studies have shown that this year's ice cover has dramatically changed, when compared to the last decades. It has been moved to the sixth- lowest of Arctic Sea ice. Scientist are now worried about what is really going on with ice melting and how weather is all affecting this too. In addition, scientists need to look more into the effects because they need to look at the future of animals and humans. Scientist have said that the sixth place ranking is not predicted to change but scientists need to look more into this. 

A scientist at, The National Snow and Ice Data Center, explained that we were below the amounts of 2009, after analyzing the ice on September 16th. The center quoted, "As is typical for this time of year, winds or currents can compact or spread apart the ice, resulting in small daily fluctuations". The ice cover is a shocking fifty percent more than last year. This indicates a problem and scientists are really concerned about future effects. Because of the warmer temperatures throughout the Earth, this means loss of ice in the future. An oceanographer, James Overland, talks about how the Arctic Ocean is becoming more acidic because of these warmer temperatures animals in the Arctic are at risk. James Overland has also been studying ice-free summers and what the future holds by 2030. In addition, Overland made a good conclusion about ice thickness and how the volume of the ice stays somewhat the same, even though there might be different things occurring in the Arctic. Lastly, the big storm last year had a long-term effect on the temperatures, which resulted in warm water that was carried to the Arctic, which contributed to the melting ice. 



http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=cooler-year-fails-to-shift-long-term-trend-of-arctic-sea-ice-melting