Planetary boundaries: Gauging the limits

Posted on January 16, 2015 by GarryRogers

The chart shows how close we are to the limits of Earth’s ability to support our civilization.

“Human civilization has arisen during a period of relatively stable environmental conditions during the past 10,000 years. Scientists fear that major changes in these conditions could pose a threat to our future. By the time a system reaches a certain threshold, it may be too late to correct a trend, so scientists recommend setting boundaries for certain parameters to help maintain stability” Source: apps.washingtonpost.com.

EPA Releases 2013 Toxics Release Inventory National Analysis

Posted on January 15, 2015 by GarryRogers

Comment on the New EPA Toxic Releases Report

GR: It is worth noting that the EPA report does not include toxic releases from small facilities, home heating, automobiles, and others. To get insight to the magnitude of human impacts on nature, consider the fact that toxic wastes are not the leading cause of damage to wildlife and habitat. Worldwide, construction and invasive species are more destructive than toxic wastes. The enormous quantity of toxic materials we produce, gives a sense of just how gigantic is the impact of construction and invasive species. It is not surprising that more than half of Earth’s wildlife is gone and the rest is fading fast.

U. S. Toxic Chemical Release Inventory (TRI)

Locations of all facilities that reported to TRI for 2013

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has released its annual report on toxic wastes. This information comes from thousands of U.S. facilities and includes over 650 chemicals and chemical categories under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA).

“The map shows the locations of all facilities that reported to TRI for 2013. Facilities that report to TRI are typically large and are from industry sectors involved in manufacturing, metal mining, electric power generation, and hazardous waste treatment. Federal facilities are also required to report to TRI by Executive Order 12856.

“Users of TRI data should be aware that TRI captures a significant portion of toxic chemicals in wastes that are managed by industrial facilities, but it does not cover all toxic chemicals or all industry sectors of the U.S. economy. Furthermore, the quantities of chemicals reported to TRI are self-reported by facilities using readily-available data. Each year, EPA conducts an extensive data quality analysis before publishing the National Analysis. During the data quality review, potential errors are identified and investigated to help provide the most accurate and useful information possible. This effort makes it possible for TRI data presented in the National Analysis to be used along with other information as a starting point in understanding how the environment and communities may be affected by toxic chemicals.

“The TRI National Analysis is developed on an annual basis, and the 2013 TRI National Analysis is EPA’s interpretation of TRI data reported for 2013 by July 1, 2014. It provides a snapshot of the data at one point in time. Any reports submitted to EPA after the July 1st, 2014 reporting deadline may not be processed in time to be included in the National Analysis. The most recent data available are accessible from the TRI Data and Tools webpage.

Quick Facts for the U. S. for 2013

Number of TRI Facilities	21,598
Production-Related Waste Managed	25.63 billion lb
Recycled	9.23 billion lb
Energy Recovery	2.91 billion lb
Treated	9.49 billion lb
Disposed of or Otherwise Released	4.00 billion lb
Total Disposal or Other Releases	4.14 billion lb
On-site	3.74 billion lb
Air	0.77 billion lb
Water	0.21 billion lb
Land	2.75 billion lb
Off-site	0.41 billion lb

Note: Numbers do not sum exactly due to rounding.

“Additional information is presented in the following chapters of the TRI National Analysis:

Waste Management and Pollution Prevention presents trends in toxic chemicals managed and the types of pollution prevention activities that facilities have implemented.
Releases of Chemicals presents trends in releases of toxic chemicals, including a focus on selected chemicals of concern.
Industry Sectors highlights toxic chemical waste trends for four industry sectors.
Where You Live presents analyses of TRI chemicals by state, city, county, zip code, metropolitan area or micropolitan area, and by Large Aquatic Ecosystems (LAEs) such as the Chesapeake Bay, as well as information about facilities in Indian Country.
TRI & Beyond combines TRI data with other EPA data, such as greenhouse gas emissions, to provide a more complete picture of national trends in chemical use, management and releases.

“To conduct your own analysis of TRI data, use EPA’s TRI data access and analysis tools available to the public from the TRI Data and Tools web page.”

GR: The EPA report is a primary resource for studying U. S. toxic materials releases. I haven’t tried all the Tools, but they look useful. I tried the “where you live” tool for the state of Arizona. The display was slow, but produced interesting results (summary table below).

Quick Facts for Arizona 2013

Number of TRI Facilities:	257
Facilities Reporting Newly Implemented Source Reduction:	45
Total On-site and Off-site Disposal or Other Releases:	70,121,662 lbs
Total On-site:	69,030,728 lbs
• Air:	2,400,897 lbs
• Water:	832 lbs
• Land:	66,628,999 lbs
Total Off-Site:	1,090,934 lbs

Are human behaviors affecting bird communities in residential areas?

Posted on January 8, 2015 by GarryRogers

A new study from the Wildlife Conservation Society shows that habitat alteration may be less important than other factors- such as human behavior- in driving the effects of “exurban” development on bird communities. Source: phys.org

GR: This limited study needs repetition. Its results suggest that the human impacts identified in other studies overwhelm the contribution of natural habitat diversity. Thus, regulation of human activity can be equal across habitats, and need not vary with habitat structural diversity. The human activities include initial construction that eliminates habitat, introduction of exotic species, movements, noise, lighting, and pets that degrade habitat quality. We really need to stop destroying habitat. A first step is revising our building and zoning codes to combine new residences and community activities into single tall buildings.

Humans erode soil 100 times faster than nature

Posted on January 7, 2015 by GarryRogers

A new study shows that removing native forest and starting intensive agriculture can accelerate erosion so dramatically that in a few decades as much soil is lost as would naturally occur over thousands of years.

Source: phys.org

GR: Add soil erosion to the top five human impacts: Construction, invasive species, toxic wastes (including CO2), soil erosion, and harvesting (farming, fishing, grazing, hunting, logging, and mining). The five are hard to separate, and they all relate to human population growth and migration.

Deforestation Climate Risk Bigger Than Carbon

Posted on December 20, 2014 by GarryRogers

Deforestation

Peer-reviewed report says that clearing tropical rainforests distorts Earth’s wind and water systems and has impacts far beyond the implications for carbon dioxide. Farmers and food supply potentially at risk as global warming and skewed rainfall could wreak havoc with crops—from coffee to corn—in world’s breadbaskets

“A new study presents powerful evidence that clearing trees not only spews carbon into the atmosphere, but also triggers major shifts in rainfall and increased temperatures worldwide that are just as potent as those caused by current carbon pollution. Further, the study finds that future agricultural productivity across the globe is at risk from deforestation-induced warming and altered rainfall patterns.

“The report, “Effects of Tropical Deforestation on Climate Change and Agriculture,” published today in Nature Climate Change and released in collaboration with Climate Focus provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of the climate impacts of tropical forest destruction on agriculture in the tropics and thousands of miles away. Specifically, the study finds that deforestation in South America, Southeast Asia and Africa may alter growing conditions in agricultural areas in the tropics and as far away as the US Midwest, Europe and China.” Source: www.reportingclimatescience.com

GR: This research is bad news for Earth ecosystems. As with invasive plants, deforestation is having a more immediate impact than CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere. The human impact has many facets, but its root is human population growth. Construction, invasive species, deforestation, toxic chemicals, and greenhouse gas are all increasing along with our population.

UN sends team to clean up Sunderbans oil spill in Bangladesh

Posted on December 18, 2014 by GarryRogers

Thick tar clogging 350 sq km of delicate mangrove forest and river delta, home to endangered Bengal tigers and rare dolphins The United Nations said on Thursday it has sent a team of international experts to Bangladesh to help clean up the world’s…

Source: www.theguardian.com

GR: In many instances, we can’t rely on local governments to clean up environmental impacts. Perhaps the UN could play a larger role, become more of an emergency environmental disaster relief organization.

Eating our way out of environmental change

Posted on December 10, 2014 by GarryRogers

Good article, good argument, but we have to do something about our rising population.

Joseph Stinziano

Agriculture has a dramatic impact on our environment – humans have covered Earth in cropland to feed ourselves or to feed our food. As a result, there has been widespread deforestation, fossil fuel consumption and pollution to feed the planet. And given that human population size is increasing, the problem of feeding everyone and pollution in our environment will only become more pressing. At the same food consumption is converging on a diet higher in meat and empty calories, which puts a strain on arable land and increases greenhouse gas production (see “Humanity is but an anchovy, from a food point of view” for information on human dietary trends and trophic level and “Eating Fewer Resources” for greenhouse gas emissions of meat products).

But is there a way out of it? Tilman and Clark (Tilman and Clark, Nature 515:518-522) investigated whether and how dietary changes…

View original post 304 more words

Groups want public lands bills pulled from defense act

Posted on December 9, 2014 by GarryRogers

A coalition of 47 environmental organizations called on U.S. senators Monday to remove public lands riders from the Defense Authorization Act

Source: www.greatfallstribune.com

GR: In a typical anti-nature move, the House is trying to benefit corporate sponsors with this bill. Deforestation, mining, and weakened public lands protection–everything a greedy politician could hope for.

Are Namibia’s Rhinos Now Under Siege?

Posted on December 2, 2014 by GarryRogers

GR: Nowhere is safe for rhinos. Once intelligence arose alone without the guidance of wisdom, most of Earth’s species were doomed. Can our species survive when only the toughest ruderals remain? Perhaps we will die or send a small colony into space. Either way, evolution could once again begin to recreate the biological riches it held when we appeared. Probably not. Why go to space when we can cover Earth with solar cells, wind turbines, hydro-generators, and of course, hydroponic greenhouses. With only small adjustments, our current non-sapient behavioral systems will survive.

strange behaviors

Early this year in The New York Times, I wrote an op-ed in praise of Namibia’s work in restoring populations of endangered black rhinos and, more important, in avoiding the poaching nightmare taking place next door in South Africa (on track to lose 1100 rhinos this year). Here’s part of that piece:

Daniel Alfeus //Hawaxab– aka Boxer
Namibia is just about the only place on earth to have gotten conservation right for rhinos and, incidentally, a lot of other wildlife. Over the past 20 years, it has methodically repopulated one area after another as its rhino population has steadily increased. As a result, it is now home to 1,750 of the roughly 5,000 black rhinos surviving in the wild … In neighboring South Africa, government officials stood by haplessly as poachers slaughtered almost a thousand rhinos last year alone. Namibia lost just two.