Abstract
Pandemic Leads to Better Air in World's Smoggiest Cities
Residents of the world's most-toxic megacities can, at least temporarily, stop and smell the proverbial roses. Stay-at-home requirements implemented worldwide due to the coronavirus outbreak have led to unprecedented declines in air pollution, giving residents of cities such as New Delhi, Bangkok, and Sao Paulo a chance to experience alpine-like views. According to The Guardian, the change is extreme: Anything above 25 on the air quality index (AQI) is considered unsafe. In New Delhi, AQI levels are usually 200-plus on a good day; they can top 900 during the worst. But as New Delhi's more than 11 million registered cars were taken off the roads, and factories and construction stopped, AQI levels have regularly fallen below 20. In February, schools in Bangkok were closed due to poor air quality; by May the sky was blue again. And Sao Paulo's freeways, normally clogged with traffic, now resemble small-town streets due to a lack of cars. But there are also signs that the cleanup is only temporary. China, which experienced COVID-19 first, watched air pollution drop by 25 percent from late January to late February. But as it began to lessen restrictions and send people back to work, the nitrogen dioxide levels crawled back up. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) notes that the virus' long-term environmental impact is unclear: “Efforts to control the coronavirus pandemic have reduced economic activity and led to localized improvements in the air quality, but it is too early to assess the implications for concentrations of greenhouse gases, which are responsible for long-term climate change.”
As nations and economies shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pollution levels changed in ways that were detectable by satellites.
Milan, Italy, may soon be transitioning to a more pedestrian-friendly city.
Milan to Limit Automobile Use after COVID-19 Restrictions Are Lifted
The City of Milan, Italy, plans to transform 22 miles of street space currently reserved for cars into areas only for cycling and walking, once coronavirus restrictions are lifted, according to an article in The Guardian. Milan is one of the world's smoggiest cities, but a government-initiated nationwide lockdown dropped automobile congestion by up to 75 percent from mid-March to late April—and took air pollution with it. The drop has government officials worldwide looking at ways to fend off a resurgence in car use as residents return to work, while avoiding busy public transport. The Open Streets plan, expected to be implemented this summer, will help keep air clean and stimulate business, according to Milan Deputy Mayor Marco Granelli. “We worked for years to reduce car use,” he says. “If everybody drives a car, there is no space for people, there is no space to move, there is no space for commercial activities outside the shops … we have to reimagine Milan in the new situation.” Granelli's comments were applauded by Greenpeace U.K., which tweeted that he was “hitting the nail squarely on the head.”
Southwestern Megadrought Could Be Driest Since 800 AD
A severe drought that has emblazed the U.S. Southwest since 2000 may soon be the worst in 1,200 years, according to a study by Columbia University. The report notes that the ongoing dry spell appears to be the beginning of a megadrought—a dry period lasting 20 years or more—and a situation long suspected by scientists. This 21st century version is the second worst, in terms of lack of moisture, since 800 AD and is closely behind a megadrought from 1575 to 1603. “We know that this drought has been encouraged by the global warming process,” asserts Columbia University bioclimatologist and study lead author A. Park Williams. “As we go forward in time, it's going to take more and more good luck to pull us out of this.” Luck may indeed be involved: Compared to the previous 19 years, 2019 was a fairly wet year. Unpredictable climate variability may also end the drought. But global warming increases the chance that the drought will continue. If so, it could also get much worse—global warming and its drying influence in southwestern North America are “likely still in their infancy,” the study warns. Worse, because this drought is partially brought on by a human-made situation, it won't be phased out by gradual, natural changes in weather patterns and precipitation levels. “The dice are increasingly loaded toward longer and more-severe droughts,” Williams notes. The study appears in Science.
A dry, patched Southwestern United States is likely to look even worse in coming years due to a continual megadrought.
Scuba Divers Turn Sea Waste into Face Masks
As people try to practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, some are having trouble acquiring a key requirement: face masks. But a group of scuba divers is using their stay-at-home time to help people and the oceans by making the needed face masks from plastic water bottles recovered from the oceans. According to a report by CNN, the masks, produced by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and eco-friendly active wear retailer Rash'R, are machine washable and double layered, and they come with five replaceable carbon-activated filters that last eight hours each. They're also one-size-fits-most adults. But the masks are not cheap: Each one with reusable filters is $20.40, according to CNN. According to Lisa Nicklin, vice president of consumer marketing at PADI Worldwide, the company isn't making a profit. “The price you pay is our actual cost,” says Nicklin. “Our driving incentive and hope is that ocean lovers will take precautions for their personal well-being and the well-being of the communities they call home and the ocean they dive.” A lot of ocean lovers have responded: So far, PADI has received more than 25,000 orders. Based on that total, the masks have helped remove and reuse more than 2,100 pounds of ocean waste, Nicklin adds. “We underestimated how popular they would be,” she says. “I think (consumers) just felt that it was a great thing to do for the ocean while also buying something that they need.” More information is available at www.padigear.com.
Scuba diving group PADI is turning plastic water bottles that once polluted oceans into face masks for people to protect themselves against the coronavirus.
The Year 2020 May Become Earth's Hottest on Record
At about the halfway mark, 2020 is well on its way to being Earth's warmest. A forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) notes that this year has a 75 percent chance to surpass 2016 as the one with the highest temperatures, and 99.9 percent of being in the top five. In either case, the last seven years will be the warmest on record, according to news network Al Jazeera. Thus far, the period from January to March 2020 was the second-warmest in NOAA's 141 years of record keeping—something that's unusual because there is no El Niño this year, the agency notes. The cyclical climate mode, which causes warmer ocean water in the Pacific Ocean, was present during 2016. National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Chief Deke Arndt says the overall trend is primarily due to global warming and the burning of fossil fuels. Global land and sea surface temperatures were 2.09 degrees Fahrenheit above average for the first three months of the year. Europe and Asia had their warmest first three months on record, while South America had its third warmest January to March and its warmest March. The eastern United States saw its second-warmest winter season, and the country had an above average first quarter in 2020, according to NOAA.
Barring an immediate weather change, Earth in 2020 will have its hottest temperatures on record for a seventh year due to global warming.
With This CO2 Sensor, A/C Could Save Energy and Money
Purdue University researchers have developed a sensor to help control and cut down on energy consumption through heating and ventilation systems, particularly those used in large office and hospitality industry buildings. The lower cost, lower energy-using carbon dioxide sensor could change the way energy heats, cools, and ventilates large buildings and eventually homes, according to lead researcher Jeff Rhoads, a professor of mechanical engineering in Purdue's College of Engineering. “Climate control and proper ventilation are especially important because most people spend considerably more time indoors than outside,” Rhoads explains. “Climate control and ventilation are also huge sources of energy consumption in the United States and around the world.” The technology identifies when carbon dioxide is released into the air by a person or people entering and breathing inside the space being monitored. The sensor detects the CO2 level so that heating and ventilation systems can control the climate and air turnover in spaces that are occupied, instead of using energy to control rooms that are empty. Rhoads adds that the Purdue sensor also helps address privacy concerns about using camera technology for detecting when someone enters and leaves a room. The researchers are also working to integrate the sensor with other Internet of Things building technology.
Climate Change Uncovers Treasure Trove of Artifacts—and a Warning
Retreating ice from global warming has unveiled a lost Viking mountain pass in Norway, strewn with artifacts stretching back more than 2,000 years. It's a mother lode find for archeologists, but also a reminder of the impact of climate change. According to a study by researchers at the Glacier Archaeology Program in Oppland, Norway, items uncovered in recent months near the Lendbreen ice patch include an 1,800-year-old shirt, broken sleds, tools, and other artifacts dating from 300 to 1500 AD. Most of what was collected comes from around 1000 AD at the height of the Viking era, when trade and mobility in the region peaked. “A lost mountain pass melting out of the ice is a dream discovery for us glacial archaeologists,” says study coauthor Lars Pilø. “In such passes, past travelers left behind lots of artifacts, frozen in time by the ice. These incredibly well-preserved artifacts of organic materials have great historical value.” But Pilø also cautioned against being too excited when the bigger picture is viewed. “Global warming is leading to the melting of mountain ice worldwide, and the finds melting out of the ice are a result of this,” he says. “[But] the large-scale melting in 2019 of most of the Lendbreen ice means there will soon be nothing left to discover.” The study appears in the journal Antiquity.
Purdue University’s new CO2-based sensor heating and ventilation system cuts indoor energy use.
Retreating ice due to global warming is revealing dozens of Viking-era finds such as this one—a pack mule that didn’t make it across the once-frozen Lendbreen Pass.
Natural Gas Faces Uncertain, Unhealthy Future in Texas, New Mexico
Methane emissions from the Permian basin of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, one of the largest oil-producing regions in the world, are more than two times higher than federal estimates, a new study finds. According to a report by Inside Climate News, methane, or natural gas, has historically been an unwanted by-product to be flared—a practice in which methane is burned instead of emitted into the atmosphere—or vented by oil producers in the region. The current study estimates that 3.7 percent of all the methane produced from wells in the Permian basin is emitted, unburned, into the atmosphere. New natural gas pipelines are being built to bring the gas to market, but pipeline capacity and the low price of natural gas has created little incentive to reduce methane emissions, the study notes. “There are going to be a lot less wells being drilled, probably less gas being flared, even wells [that] will [probably] be shut in,” says David Lyon, a scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund and a coauthor of the study. “If that is done properly, you will have less emissions. At the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of operators cut back on their environmental staff, and they do less leak inspections and other activities that would reduce emissions.” Climate scientists estimate that if just 3.2 percent of all the gas brought above ground at the wells leaks into the atmosphere, natural gas becomes worse for the climate than burning coal. The report appears in the journal Science Advances.
Methane, a by-product of oil wells, is leaking into the atmosphere at twice the rate expected in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico.
Icebergs Could Be Nature's Solution to a World Water Shortage
A South African marine-salvage master plans to harness and tow an enormous Antarctic iceberg to drought-impacted Cape Town and convert it into municipal water. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Nicholas Sloane's Southern Ice Project requires a huge iceberg—one that's almost two-thirds of a mile long, one-third of a mile wide, and one-eighth of a mile deep—to be economically feasible. Such an object would meet about 20 percent of Cape Town's water needs for a year. He already has glaciologists, oceanographers, engineers, and about $200 million in financing. If Sloane can solidify an agreement with South Africa to buy the Antarctic water, all required materials and ships could be rounded up within six months, though the mission will need to take place in November or December, when the Antarctic climate is somewhat less ferocious. “We're taking on all the risk,” Sloane says. “We're ready to go.” The risk may be worth it: More than 100,000 Antarctic icebergs melt into the ocean each year, ranging from large to country-sized, according to Bloomberg. By some calculations they contain more than the annual global consumption of fresh water. Nearly one-third of the world's population lacks access to safe drinking water, and the United Nations estimates that global water demand will outstrip supply by 40 percent as soon as 2030.
Obsolete Coal Power Plants Given New Orders
As coal-fired, environmentally unfriendly power plants are phased out of existence, a new type of recycling industry is taking shape: the repurposing of those plants by the utilities that own them. According to a report by Energy News Network, abandoned fossil-fuel sites are being turned into recreation centers, wind turbine or solar energy-generating structures, biofuel or battery storage sites, data centers, and even medical marijuana farms. “There are examples every day of something happening with coal plants,” says Karl Cates, a transition policy analyst with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. “We're seeing a surge in interest around redevelopment because there is a recognition that they are assets of value.” There are, however, developmental challenges. Some plants are in downtown neighborhoods, while some are far from any densely populated area where there are fewer options for reuse. Others are hampered because they come with ponds of coal ash, a hazardous residue from the burning of coal. And obtaining financing can be almost impossible. Still, according to Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, 306 coal-fired power plants across the country no longer serve their original purpose, while another 224 are still burning coal to produce power. Eventually, those facilities will shut down, notes John Kowalik, director of marketing and public relations for Environmental Liability Transfer, North America's largest acquirer of corporate environmental liabilities. “Given the near-certainty of continued coal plant closures,” Kowalik says, “the potential to redevelop them will [definitely] increase.”
Water-short cities like Cape Town, South Africa, could benefit from the arrival of Antarctic icebergs—if it becomes possible to get them there from the South Pole.
In the latest case of public recycling, closed coal plants are being transformed into everything from green energy sites to medical marijuana farms.
Increasingly Poisonous Clam Has Residents Playing Alaskan Roulette
Warming waters may be turning a popular clam into the world's deadliest seafood. According to a report by Grist, butter clams on and near Alaska's Kodiak Island are up to 1,000 times more poisonous than they were in the 1950s—and they caused near-instantaneous death back then. The shellfish is a key food source for the area's Native Alaskans, and nearly all of the state's rural population depends on foraging and hunting to make ends meet. Meanwhile, record-breaking heat and drought have made other food sources harder to find. The clams are plentiful, and they're not all deadly—one could be poisonous while one a few feet away is safe to eat. This has resulted in Alaskan roulette as hungry people take their chances. It has also made it nearly impossible to acquire and maintain accurate data, or even project which areas are more dangerous. Many residents rely upon the Rule of R, in which the clams are only harvested during calendar months that contain the letter R—the eight coolest months of the year. Poison levels are lower in the winter, researchers note. But they also warn that global warming may one day make the Rule of R obsolete.
Alaskan butter clams, which are becoming more abundant with warming temperatures, may be incredibly poisonous or perfectly safe to eat—but there’s no way to know which until they’re actually consumed.
Solar Plant Plan Gives Lithuanians a Chance to Own Green Energy
Lithuania has opened the world's first remote solar platform designed to give all residents the opportunity to purchase part of a solar power plant from solar parks and become a remote generating consumer. It's the first time geographically remote solar power plants are operating on the same grid nationwide, according to a report by The Baltic Times. Almost 300 households will use the platform's first 1 MW solar power plant—named Ignitis Saulės Parkai, or Ignitis Solar Parks (ISP)—and the project will generate 25 GW of electricity. The use of renewable energy resources will also save more than 450,000 trees and reduce CO2 emissions by almost 19 tons, according to Lithuanian Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas. “Until recently, the possibility for everyone to become a producer of electricity seemed like just a vision, but today it is already a reality,” asserts Darius Maikštėnas, CEO of Ignitis Group, the plant's operator. “With this move, [ISP] provides residents with the opportunity to participate in the production of green energy and creates an open platform for developers of solar parks who want to sell their projects. We hope that in the future we will be able to implement the solutions of such platforms in larger markets as well.” The solar plant is expected to expand by 3 MW by year's end.
Electric Cars Will Play a Huge Role in Cutting CO2 Emissions by 2050
Fears that electric cars could actually increase carbon emissions are unfounded in almost all parts of the world, according to a new study by the universities of Exeter, Nijmegen, and Cambridge. The study notes that electric cars lead to lower carbon emissions overall, even if electricity generation still involves substantial amounts of fossil fuel. Under current conditions, driving an electric car is better for the climate than conventional gas-powered cars in 95 percent of the world. The only exceptions are places like Poland, where electricity generation is still mostly based on coal. The study also predicts that in a few years, even inefficient electric cars will be less emission-intensive than most new gas cars in most countries, as electricity generation is expected to become less carbon-intensive. And, the study projects that in 2050, every second car on the road could be electric. This would reduce global CO2 emissions by up to 1.5 gigatons per year, which is equivalent to the total current CO2 emissions of Russia. “We have run the numbers for all around the world, looking at a whole range of cars and heating systems,” explains Jean-Francois Mercure from the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter. “Even in our worst-case scenario, there would be a reduction in emissions in almost all cases. This insight should be very useful for policy makers.” The study appears in the journal Nature Sustainability.
Already getting a green thumbs-up from consumers, electric cars are even better than expected when it comes to climate change control.
COVID-19 Poses New Challenge for Public: PPE Mass Littering
The coronavirus is keeping people indoors but bringing more trash outdoors. Cities worldwide are reporting discarded gloves, masks, and bottles of sanitizer strewn across parks, sidewalks, and roads as people try to protect themselves and others from infection. According to a report by German media outlet Deutsche Welle, personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical in fighting the pandemic but could have negative environmental consequences because they're not always disposed of properly. Cities in Italy and Asia, for example, will see most of the land-dumped products eventually washed into the ocean, where they pose a threat to animal life. Even people trying to correctly dispose of their PPEs have barriers. Parts of Europe, for example, have a recycling plan in which retailers and producers pay for the collection and treatment of plastic packaging. But since gloves aren't considered packaging, they cannot be put into household recycling bins. “This should be the same thing whether it's a bottle of lemonade or a mask that's used in a hospital,” says Richard Thompson, professor and director of the Marine Institute at the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom. “Of course, it doesn't help that we're in this time of crisis, particularly when everybody is wanting a mask.” Still, some sustainable innovations are emerging. In the United States, carmaker Ford is producing reusable gowns from air bag materials that can be washed up to 50 times, while the University of Nebraska is testing to see whether ultraviolet light will decontaminate and prolong the life of medical masks, and therefore, reduce waste.
Masks, gloves, and other personal protective equipment are becoming a nuisance—and eventually, an environmental hazard—in cities everywhere.
With Sustainable Packaging, Price Is No Object for Consumers
Nearly three-fourths of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, and one-fourth of those persons are willing to pay up to 10 percent more, according to a report by Boston Consulting Group. Most consumers identify themselves as environmentally aware, and more than two out of three consider environmentally friendly, recyclable packaging as important. “This increased consumer awareness, driven by increased media coverage of the environmental impacts of pollution and large corporations transitioning away from plastics, whether it's straws or grocery bags, truly underscores our findings,” notes Trivium Packaging CEO Michael Mapes. “Consumers' focus is on sustainable living now more than ever, and they're willing to pay to protect the planet.” Report findings also show that nearly half of consumers actually shy away from harmful packaging. Of those consumers, 68 percent associate plastic with ocean pollution. Along with the large number associating plastics with ocean pollution, the report shows that almost 60 percent of consumers say they are less likely to buy a product in harmful packaging. And of those consumers who associate plastic with being harmful, they cite it as being 80 percent more harmful than metal. “The research shows us the emphasis consumers have placed on evolving our packaging options to lessen our impact on the environment,” Mapes says. The report is available at https://triviumpackaging.com.
Newly Discovered Bacteria Dines on Toxic Plastic
Polyurethane, a key component in everything from kitchen sponges to building insulation—and one that is rarely recycled—may be less of an environmental hazard thanks to a newly discovered microbe. Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ in Leipzig, Germany, say a new strain of Pseudomonas bacteria can completely consume the toxic plastic within weeks, providing a way to keep tons of the troublesome compound out of landfills. More than 8 billion tons of plastic have been produced since the 1950s and most has ended up polluting the world's land and oceans, or in dumping grounds because it's too difficult to recycle. Fittingly, the new bacteria was found at a waste site where plastic had been disposed of, according to lead researcher Hermann Heipieper. Researchers fed the microbe key chemical components of polyurethane and discovered it can use the plastic as a sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy. “While there is still much work to be done, this is exciting and necessary research that demonstrates the power of looking to nature to find valuable biocatalysts,” Heipieper explains. “Understanding and harnessing such natural processes will open the door for innovative recycling solutions.” The institute's study appears in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology.
Polyurethane plastic, useful every day but environmentally toxic long term, could one day be kept out of landfill thanks to a new form of bacteria.
Hurricane-Damaged Convent Gets Second Chance to Serve the Public
Nuns in New Orleans are attempting to transform a former Catholic convent into one of the nation's largest urban wetlands. According to a report by Changing America, the Sisters of St. Joseph opted not to rebuild the convent after it was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Instead of selling the 25-acre site to developers, the Sisters wanted to continue their stewardship of the planet. The nuns commissioned a design firm to create a water management project aimed at fostering environmental, educational, and spiritual well-being, and leased it to the city of New Orleans for $1 on the condition that the property be used to preserve and protect the environment, enhance local quality of life, and reduce flood risk. “What we were doing is praying for an idea that would allow this land to continue ministering to the neighborhood,” says religious order leader Sister Pat Bergen. “This land had been prayed upon for years, and we already had a commitment to save and restore planet Earth in light of climate change. So, [this project] seemed like a good fit.” If built as envisioned, the project known as Mirabeau Water Garden will be able to absorb nearly 10 million gallons of stormwater runoff from the surrounding neighborhood and help prevent storm drains from becoming overwhelmed. The city recently began soliciting construction bids for the estimated $30 million effort, but no deadlines have been set.
To help alleviate urban floods, a convent damaged by Hurricane Katrina may be transformed into an urban wetland that can absorb millions of gallons of stormwater.
