Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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Cars may produce more climate-warming particles than previously thought
February 24, 2012 Latest News
Black Carbon Belchers?
Pollution Monitoring: Cars may produce more climate-warming particles than previously thought
By
Department: Science & Technology
Keywords: black carbon, soot, monitoring, laser spectral detection, diesel engines, climate change
Keywords: black carbon, soot, monitoring, laser spectral detection, diesel engines, climate change
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Start Your Engines
Gasoline-burning cars produce more black carbon than suspected, according to a new study
Credit: Shutterstock
Tiny particles known as black carbon can pack a heavy punch when it comes to climate change, by trapping heat in the atmosphere and by alighting atop, and melting, Arctic ice. With an eye toward controlling these emissions, researchers have tracked black carbon production from fossil fuel combustion in gasoline-burning cars and diesel-burning trucks. Once thought to be minor players, gasoline-burning engines could put out twice as much black carbon as was previously measured, according to new field methods (Environ. Sci. Technol., DOI: 10.1021/es2033845).
Black carbon particles, which come from many combustion processes, have become a focus this month of an international agreement to control climate impacts from short-lived but powerful actors such as methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and black carbon (C&EN, Feb. 20, page 8). The new findings could lead to controls on gas-burning vehicles, long considered to produce less black carbon than diesel-burning trucks and cars.
A team of Canadian government scientists stumbled upon the hidden black carbon emissions after deploying a new laser-based method to monitor soot and other tiny particles in the chaos of traffic. In 2010, John Liggio and his colleagues fromEnvironment Canada and the National Research Council Canada deployed the new device along highways around Toronto.
The instrument’s pulsed laser beam heats black carbon particles up to thousands of degrees Celsius, making them light up like “red-hot glowing charcoal,” says project leader Jeffrey Brook. A photometer measures the brightness of the particles to estimate their mass in real time. The team compared their device to a commonly used single-particle analyzer, known as SP2, which they set out at the same time.
The researchers followed 30 heavy-duty, diesel-burning vehicles and collected samples of their exhaust. They found that the trucks belched out levels of black carbon similar to those documented by prior studies.
While the scientists were chasing trucks, stationary monitors measured particles moving downwind of the same multi-lane highways. Video monitoring helped the team track the number and types of vehicles passing by. After measuring the mass of black carbon as it fluctuated over 17 days, the scientists compared those data with estimates of total black carbon based on expected black carbon emissions of diesel- and gasoline-burning vehicles. But their estimates always fell short of the actual black carbon measurements.
Gasoline-burning vehicles would have to emit more to take up the slack, the researchers concluded. They calculated that such vehicles must emit about 75 mg of black carbon per kilogram of fuel, about twice the amount that other scientists have reported and that the SP2 measured. They surmised that, unlike the new device, other methods miss tiny black carbon particles as small as 7 nm.
Researchers should be aware of the limitations of SP2, an instrument that is growing in popularity despite its lower sensitivity, says Dan Lack of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. However, other monitoring techniques such as absorption filters can track smaller particles, he says. For now, the discovery of a hidden well of black carbon holds true only for the team’s Toronto sites, he points out.
Mark Jacobson of Stanford University comments that if the results hold true elsewhere, they “imply an even greater urgency for taking measures to reduce particle emissions from vehicles.”
- Chemical & Engineering News
- ISSN 0009-2347
- Copyright © 2012 American Chemical Society
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Birders beware: climate change could push 600 tropical birds into extinction
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
February 21, 2012
There may be less birds for birders to see in the world as the planet warms. Climate change, in combination with deforestation, could send between 100 and 2,500 tropical birds to extinction before the end of century, according to new research published inBiological Conservation. The wide range depends on the extent of climate and how much habitat is lost, but researchers say the most likely range of extinctions is between 600 and 900 species, meaning about 10-14 percent of tropical birds, excluding migratory species.
"Birds are perfect canaries in the coal mine—it's hard to avoid that metaphor—for showing the effects of global change on the world's ecosystems and the people who depend on those ecosystems," says lead author and notable ornithologist Çağan Şekercioğlu with the University of Utah. "Compared to temperate species that often experience a wide range of temperature on a yearly basis, tropical species, especially those limited to tropical forests with stable climates, are less likely to keep up with rapid climate change."
Şekercioğlu and colleagues scoured 200 scientific studies related to tropical birds and climate change to develop their estimate, which is in line with previous estimates of bird declines linked to a warming planet.
Those birds most susceptible to climate change impacts include high-elevation species which could quite literally run out of habitat, and those already restricted to small ranges. An increase in extreme weather events, such as droughts and storms, may also imperil some species. The increasing intensity of hurricanes, even if frequency diminishes, may threaten coastal birds, while long droughts could hurt birds' ability to find food during breeding season. Already, the Amazon has suffered two record droughts in the last 7 years, leading many scientists to fear for the ecosystem's resiliency in the face of climate change.
Disease may also pose a problem. Malaria is expected to spread to higher altitudes and latitudes, possibly imperiling some tropical bird species. Rising sea levels may also pose a problem for coastal and island birds.
"Not all effects of climate change are negative, and changes in temperature and precipitation regimes will benefit some species," Şekercioğlu says. For example, the rainbow billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) has seen its range increase into higher altitudes as a result of climate change. However its gain has been another species loss: the resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), a higher altitude bird, now has to compete with the toucan for nesting holes and face the threat of toucans preying on the quetzal's eggs and chicks. The sudden competition between the rainbow billed toucan and the resplendent quetzal shows how climate change may take a toll on species unexpected ways.
Even though a warmer world may benefit a few species, Şekercioğlu adds that "climate change will not benefit many" and the end result will be a significant loss in bird biodiversity.
Currently the global climate has warmed about 0.8 degrees Celsius (1.44 degrees Fahrenheit) since the Industrial Revolution. While global governments have pledged to keep warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), current promises of emissions cuts significantly miss that goal. But, the scientists note, a single added degree of warming could push an additional 100 to 500 tropical birds extinct.
The scientists recommend more research and better monitoring of tropical birds. In addition, protected area should be created or expanded to fill in gaps for bird species and degraded lands restored. Relocation of some species may become necessary as well.
"Nevertheless, such efforts will be temporary fixes if we fail to achieve important societal change to reduce consumption, to control the emissions of greenhouse gases and to stop climate change," the authors write. "Otherwise, we face the prospect of an out-of-control climate that will not only lead to enormous human suffering, but will also trigger the extinction of countless organisms, among which tropical birds will be but a fraction of the total."
Read more:http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0221-hance_birds_cc.html#ixzz1nJm97vy8
mongabay.com
February 21, 2012
There may be less birds for birders to see in the world as the planet warms. Climate change, in combination with deforestation, could send between 100 and 2,500 tropical birds to extinction before the end of century, according to new research published inBiological Conservation. The wide range depends on the extent of climate and how much habitat is lost, but researchers say the most likely range of extinctions is between 600 and 900 species, meaning about 10-14 percent of tropical birds, excluding migratory species.
"Birds are perfect canaries in the coal mine—it's hard to avoid that metaphor—for showing the effects of global change on the world's ecosystems and the people who depend on those ecosystems," says lead author and notable ornithologist Çağan Şekercioğlu with the University of Utah. "Compared to temperate species that often experience a wide range of temperature on a yearly basis, tropical species, especially those limited to tropical forests with stable climates, are less likely to keep up with rapid climate change."
 The resplendent quetzal (shown here) of Costa Rica’s highlands is one of the main victims of the rainbow-billed toucan’s move to higher elevations due to warming climate. The quetzal’s mountain forest habitat also is growing drier. The quetzal was venerated by the Mayas and Aztecs as the "god of the air" and is the bird most sought-after by birdwatchers visiting Costa Rica. Photo by: Çağan Şekercioğlu. |
Those birds most susceptible to climate change impacts include high-elevation species which could quite literally run out of habitat, and those already restricted to small ranges. An increase in extreme weather events, such as droughts and storms, may also imperil some species. The increasing intensity of hurricanes, even if frequency diminishes, may threaten coastal birds, while long droughts could hurt birds' ability to find food during breeding season. Already, the Amazon has suffered two record droughts in the last 7 years, leading many scientists to fear for the ecosystem's resiliency in the face of climate change.
Disease may also pose a problem. Malaria is expected to spread to higher altitudes and latitudes, possibly imperiling some tropical bird species. Rising sea levels may also pose a problem for coastal and island birds.
"Not all effects of climate change are negative, and changes in temperature and precipitation regimes will benefit some species," Şekercioğlu says. For example, the rainbow billed toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus) has seen its range increase into higher altitudes as a result of climate change. However its gain has been another species loss: the resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), a higher altitude bird, now has to compete with the toucan for nesting holes and face the threat of toucans preying on the quetzal's eggs and chicks. The sudden competition between the rainbow billed toucan and the resplendent quetzal shows how climate change may take a toll on species unexpected ways.
Even though a warmer world may benefit a few species, Şekercioğlu adds that "climate change will not benefit many" and the end result will be a significant loss in bird biodiversity.
Currently the global climate has warmed about 0.8 degrees Celsius (1.44 degrees Fahrenheit) since the Industrial Revolution. While global governments have pledged to keep warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), current promises of emissions cuts significantly miss that goal. But, the scientists note, a single added degree of warming could push an additional 100 to 500 tropical birds extinct.
The scientists recommend more research and better monitoring of tropical birds. In addition, protected area should be created or expanded to fill in gaps for bird species and degraded lands restored. Relocation of some species may become necessary as well.
"Nevertheless, such efforts will be temporary fixes if we fail to achieve important societal change to reduce consumption, to control the emissions of greenhouse gases and to stop climate change," the authors write. "Otherwise, we face the prospect of an out-of-control climate that will not only lead to enormous human suffering, but will also trigger the extinction of countless organisms, among which tropical birds will be but a fraction of the total."
Read more:http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0221-hance_birds_cc.html#ixzz1nJm97vy8
Dow and Monsanto Join Forces to Poison America's Heartland
by: Richard Schiffman, Truthout | News Analysis
In a match that some would say was made in hell, the nation's two leading producers of agrochemicals have joined forces in apartnership to reintroduce the use of the herbicide 2,4-D, one half of the infamous defoliant Agent Orange, which was used by American forces to clear jungle during the Vietnam War. These two biotech giants have developed a weed management program that, if successful, would go a long way toward a predicted doubling of harmful herbicide use in America's corn belt during the next decade.
The problem for corn farmers is that "superweeds" have been developing resistance to America's best-selling herbicide Roundup, which is being sprayed on millions of acres in the Midwest and elsewhere. Dow Agrosciences has developed a strain of corn that it says will solve the problem. The new genetically modified variety can tolerate 2,4-D, which will kill off the Roundup-resistant weeds, but leave the corn standing. Farmers who opt into this system will be required to double-dose their fields with a deadly cocktail of Roundup plus 2,4-D, both of which are manufactured by Monsanto.
But this plan has alarmed environmentalists and also many farmers, who are reluctant to reintroduce a chemical whose toxicity has been well established. The use of 2,4-D is banned in several European countries and provinces of Canada. The substance is a suspected carcinogen, which has been shown to double the incidence of birth defects in the children of pesticide applicators in a study conducted by University of Minnesota pathologist Vincent Garry.
Researchers say that the effect of 2,4-D on human health is still not fully understood. But it may be a risk factor for conditions like Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and certain leukemias, which were often found in Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that the chemical could have "endocrine disruption potential" and interfere with the human hormonal system. It may prove toxic to honeybees, birds and fish, according to research conducted by the US Forest Service and others. In 2004, a coalition of groups spearheaded by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Pesticide Action Network, wrote a letter to the EPA taking it to task for underestimating the health and environmental impacts of 2,4-D.
Large-scale industrial farming has grown dependent on ever-increasing applications of agrochemicals. Some have compared this to a drug addict who requires larger and larger fixes to stay high. Herbicide use has increased steadily over time as weeds develop resistance and need to be doused with more and deadlier chemicals to kill them. This, in turn. requires more aggressive genetic engineering of crops that can withstand the escalating chemical assault.
Many agricultural scientists warn that this growing addiction to agrochemicals is unsustainable in the long run. The fertility of the soil decreases as earthworms and vital microorganisms are killed off by pesticides and herbicides. They also pollute the groundwater and compromise the health of farm animals that are fed with the chemical-infused grain.
These impacts are poised to grow. US Department of Agriculture (USDA) figures reveal that herbicide use rose by 383 million pounds from 1996 to 2008. Significantly, nearly half of this increase (46 percent) took place between 2007 and 2008 as a result of the hawking of new herbicide-resistant crops like the new corn hybrid developed by Dow.
Nobody knows what effect introducing this hybrid would have on the health of American consumers. Corn laced with high levels of 2,4-D could taint everything from breakfast cereals to the beef of cattle, which concentrate the toxin in their flesh. Given that corn and high-fructose corn syrup are key elements in so many processed foods, some public health experts warn that all Americans will soon be guinea pigs in an ill-conceived mass experiment with one of the staples of our food supply. America's agriculture department, the USDA is considering deregulating Monsanto's new genetically modified corn variety (the one which will be used in conjunction with the 2,4-D) and is accepting final public comments on the matter until the 27th of this month.
Until recently, herbicide-resistant crops were popular with farmers who benefited from higher yields and nearly effortless management of weeds. But now that the weed problem is coming back with a vengeance, some are reconsidering the wisdom of this chemical-intensive mode of farming. Dow biotech corn costs nearly three times more than conventional seed. And theprojected doubling of pesticide use in the years ahead will be expensive, as well as destructive to farmland and ecosystems.
There are viable alternatives to chemical-intensive farming, time-tested methods like crop rotation, use of cover crops, and other practices which allow farmers to compete naturally with weeds. The time has come for farmers to revive the knowledge of their ancestors in this regard.
Some agricultural scientists advocate developing a system of integrated weed management to replace the unsustainable use of chemicals. But the big agrochemical companies have no interest in supporting the sustainable agriculture that would put them out of business. So long as there are billions of dollars to be made in selling herbicide and herbicide-resistant genetically modified seed, there won't be much research money available to explore the natural alternatives to the destruction of our nation's heartland.
This work by Truthout is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Arsenic Poisoning in Bangladesh
Arsenic is found in Coal Power Ash Waste... It can seep through the fresh water table and even into the rivers and seas... and even the air.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
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