cap and trade explained

The Washington Post created this graphic explaining the “Cap and Trade” we keep hearing about…. so take a look so you know what is going on.

quite controversial, but the right decision

Germany did something very bold today in the fight against climate change.  Something that we will more than likely never see in this country, but should be done.  Germany’s Federal Environmental Agency urged its citizens to dramatically reduce its intake of meat, suggesting they go back to pre-war norms of eating meat only on special occasions, according to the Guardian.

There has been a lot of data released about the extraordinary amount of harm the livestock industry puts onto our climate being the most energy intensive form of “farming”.  Most accounts suggest that the meat industry accounts for a fifth of the greenhouse gases emitted into our atmosphere.  It is a result of the chemicals, transportation fuels and methane released from the animals, as well as the clear cutting of forests for land for the cattle to graze.

This decision is being embraced by many in the environmental movement.  There are few, if any, countries that have publicly acknowledged that our current methods of meat production are unsustainable and must be stopped.  

The United States has huge meat lobbying interests in Washington.  When nutritionists at the USDA and with the AMA have ever suggested reducing the meat intake in the food pyramid, millions of dollars have been spent in discrediting the data and ensuring that our process will never change.  The lobbyists have even succeeded in wooing the FDA to pass the allowance of the strongest of antibiotics for animal use and the lack of labeling for genetically engineered cattle.

The impact of the meat industry is even starting to be seen in ways other than the impact on the environment.  Antibiotics are being found in produce due to its presence in the water supply. Additionally, bacteria are getting more and more resistant to antibiotics, resulting in people having a harder time fighting infections.

While there are grassroots movements trying to educate the United States public on the harm of the meat industry, it is relatively weak by comparison.  Vegetarianism and other such diets are seen as “abnormal” and alternative lifestyles, when in reality they are the most eco-conscious way to eat and live.

All in all, Germany has done the right thing in suggesting to its citizenry to eat less meat.  All countries should follow this example and we may have a fighting chance against global destabilization.

rock star

 

For a while now, a rock that most people know from jewlery, has been slowly getting attention as a possible savior in our climate change battle.  However, new data has brought it to the forefront, as reported in Environmental Science and Technology.

Geologists have known for a while that peridotite reacts with carbon dioxide (CO2) to form solid carbonates, like limestone.  It is the most common, and abundant, rock in the Earth’s mantle. However, harnessing that power to combat climate change has been elusive.  Until now.

Geologist Muriel Andreani of Université Montpellier 2 and his team have shown that if you can inject CO2 into the peridotite, the transformation can occur, and rather quickly.  In fact, carbonate formation occurred after only eight hours.  The working principle is that if factories can trap CO2, it can be injected into boreholes, and creating the carbonate rock.

They have found that there are certain conditions that allow this to happen more than others.  Under poor conditions, the carbonate formed closes up the transfer pores.  But, under the right conditions, a slow and steady stream can be injected into the rock.  In fact, as much as 4 billion tons of CO₂ could be permanently stored in peridotite formations that cover half of the country of Oman, located on the Arabian Peninsula, and that occur in other scattered locations worldwide, according to recent estimates by Columbia University.

Before we all get too excited, however, much more research needs to be done to see how this reaction would work on a much larger scale.  This will be very interesting to follow.

satellite

This is very interesting. In a first of its kind, Japan is going to send a satellite up that will test the “breathing” of Earth.

In a group effort between Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Environment Ministry and the National Institute for Environmental Studies, the satellite will monitor the emissions of carbon dioxide and methane. These are the two main greenhouse gases that are regulated by the Kyoto Protocol.

Currently, greenhouse gases are monitored using the 283 various observation points across the world. However, the ocean is not monitored, nor a handful of places on land where there are no observation points, such as regions in Africa, the Middle East and South America.

Ibuki (the satellite) will monitor 56,000 locations on Earth from an altitude of 666 kilometers.

It will orbit the Earth in about 100 minutes and return to the same position in three days. During that time, Ibuki will observe sunlight reflected on the Earth’s surface.
Carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere absorb infrared rays of specific wavelengths.

The denser the gases, the more light they absorb. Therefore, the density of the gases can be calculated from the measured strength of the light of those wavelengths.

Since there is some disagreement as to how to evaluate the current data that is received, this should help in determining the true values of greenhouse gases. This will help when world leaders meet to draft the next version of regulations that need to be met under an international policy.

The article was published out of Japan, via Asahi.com, HERE.

santa’s foreclosure

The arctic is melting faster than anyone expected. And, while scientists agree that summer ice will disappear, they cannot agree on when that will happen.

US researchers claim to have found evidence that accelerated melting has crossed a “tipping point” from which there is no going back.

The amount of summer ice at the North Pole has steadily declined since 1979, according to satellite images. Computer models predict that this trend will continue, leaving the Arctic completely ice-free during the summers as early as 2030.

Of the many issues that will arise with arctic melting, the one with the most concern is the subsequent release of methane gas. The problem at hand: methane has 21 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. And, while it has a half life that is shorter than CO2, the damage may well be greater. Because of its ability to trap heat, it has a greater impact for a small amount of time, compared to CO2′s lesser impact over a large amount of time.

In any case, the arctic melting cannot be good. Due to current conditions in the world, we have had a 150% increase in methane in the last 200 years and accounts for 20% of the mixed greenhouse gases.

Article is HERE. You can find out more information about methane, HERE.

to put it in simple terms: we breath animal farts

Earlier, I posted about the U.S. increase in greenhouse gases, however, I decided to leave methane for this discussion.

Methane was our second largest emission after carbon dioxide at 9.6% or 700 million metric tons. This was a 2% increase in our levels from last year. The reason for the increase: livestock enteric fermentation. Farts.

In other research released today, which many may not tie together, is the impact of livestock in climate change. The report suggests that eating a hamburger actually has a larger footprint than driving an SUV. It goes on to suggest that reducing your meat consumption can have a huge impact on climate change.

Of course, this is not being met on the friendliest terms. First off, in the United States, the meat industry is huge. It is primarily funded by government subsidies through the farm bill.

The average American eats 200 pounds of meat, poultry, and fish per capita per year, 50 pounds more than Americans did in the 1950s. Between 1970 and 2002 the average person in a developing country went from consuming 24 pounds to 65 pounds of meat annually. In all, the world’s total meat consumption in 2007 was estimated to be 284 million tons, compared to 71 million tons in 1961. It is expected to double by 2050.

Obviously, this is money they do not want to lose. However, the true cost may be more than we can afford.

Global warming is the single biggest threat to the health of the planet, and meat consumption plays a bigger role in greenhouse gas emissions than even many environmentalists realize. The production and transportation of meat and dairy, particularly if you include the grains that are fed to livestock, is much more energy-intensive than it is for plants. Animals, especially cattle, also release gases like methane and nitrous oxide that, pound for pound, are up to 30 times more damaging than carbon dioxide. Internationally there is an additional cost to animal agriculture: massive deforestation to make land available for grazing, which releases greenhouse gases as the trees are burned and removes valuable foliage that absorbs carbon dioxide. As a result, according to a 2006 United Nations report, internationally the livestock sector accounts for 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions — more than the transportation sector.

Many people shun vegetarian diets because they view it from the terms of a 1960′s hippie. Getting over this stigma may be the thing that saves the world. Consumers may not have a choice about where a power plant will be built or the fact that they live in an area where they have to drive to work; but a consumer can make a choice about how much meat they eat. On study indicates that switching to a vegan diet can reduce carbon emissions by 6%.

The next question is why are people not talking about it? In fact, Nobel Prize winning Al Gore has not once mentioned eating less meat as a valid way to reduce greenhouse gases. I think the primary reason why is the meat industry has its hands in many a politicians pocket. Even though the meat industry does not get direct funding from the Farm Bill, they are the benefactors of corn subsidies. Corn is a commodity crop and is the primary feed for our livestock. As a result, the return on investment is high; it is cheap to raise meat but the industry can charge astronomical prices.

Many environmental groups use the reasoning that they are trying to attack one emission at a time and are starting with carbon. The NRDC, Sierra Club and League of Conservation Voters do not have an official policy on meat consumption. However, suggestions that been made that it is because they are just as political as other organizations and are doing more harm then good (see Green, Inc.: An Environmental Insider Reveals How a Good Cause Has Gone Bad). And, maybe there point is valid, since it takes longer to get carbon out of our atmosphere. However, many critics site that these organizations could make a blanket statement about meat consumption, effectively lowering one greenhouse gas, and still keep fighting for the worst offender, carbon.

All in all, it is ridiculous for a person to pull up to a McDonald’s in their Prius thinking they are helping the environment. Because, it is just not true. More and more people need to come out against eating meat. Take the time to educate your friends and neighbors about the true harm being inflicted by eating these animals.

Many articles have been published on this and I recommend that you go HERE for an in depth article by Ben Adler. HERE is an article from the New York Times about what it being discussed this week at the UN conference.

moving backwards. not good.

The annual report of the United States greenhouse gas emissions was released today, and unfortunately, we seem to be moving in the wrong direction.

The United States emissions were 7,282 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent in 2007 – an increase of 1.4 percent from the 2006 level, federal government figures show.

Per the Kyoto protocol, we track and monitor six gases.

Total estimated U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2007 consisted of 6,022 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, which represents 82.6 percent of the total greenhouse gases emitted from U.S. sources.

In 2007, the U.S. emitted 700 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent of methane (9.6 percent of total emissions); 384 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent of nitrous oxide (5.3 percent of total emissions); and 177 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent of hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride (2.4 percent of total emissions).

It should also be noted that what is deemed the most dangerous greenhouse gas, nitrogen triflouride, is not required to be measured, yet is increasing. This is a gas released during the process of making plasma televisions and other devices using plasma etching. It was once thought inert, but new data has indicated otherwise. You can go HERE to find out more information.

What is also confirmed in this report is that the United States is still the leader in emissions, with China in a close second at 6,200 million metric tons.

The good news is that, especially now with a new president, we are committed to reducing our levels of emissions by 2030 per the new Kyoto Protocol, expected to be ratified sometime next year.

You can find the report on greenhouse gases HERE.

this is why math teachers always tell you to show your work

A new report from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography says that previous estimations of atmospheric nitrogen triflouride are much higher that thought…. by four times. Ouch!

Nitrogen Triflouride is 17,000 times more effective at warming our atmosphere that carbon emissions, and has a atmospheric lifetime estimated at 740 years. It is used in plasma etching. So do you have a plasma TV? Do your neighbors? Guess what is used to make those?

click HERE to read the article.

Are y’all getting this yet?