Elaine has posts a link to this review from NPR: Elizabeth Kolbert's 'Under A White Sky; the Nature of the Future' examines what it might take for humans to continue to exist - click here.
Here is what Kolbert says of the current Earth:
"People have, by now, directly transformed more than half the ice-free land on earth — some twenty-seven million square miles — and indirectly half of what remains. We have dammed or diverted most of the world's major rivers. Our fertilizer plants and legume crops fix more nitrogen than all terrestrial ecosystems combined, and our planes, cars, and power stations emit about a hundred times more carbon dioxide than volcanoes do. ...humans and livestock outweigh all vertebrates combined, with the exception of fish. In the age of man, there is nowhere to go, and this includes the deepest trenches of the oceans and the middle of the Antarctic ice sheet, that does not already bear our Friday-like footprints."
Enjoy! Really?
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PDF: Download Bulletin_Boards_15Feb2021
Word: Download Bulletin_Boards_15Feb2021
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Check out Elaine's coronavirus/COVID-19 section in the ES BB.
Geoscience Bulletin Board – 15 February 2021 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
M7.1 earthquake in Japan is aftershock of 2011 event offshore of Fukushima
- https://japan-forward.com/magnitude-7-3-hits-japan-causing-over-hundred-injured-landslides/
- https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/asia/at-least-100-injured-after-fukushima-earthquake-with-no-major-incidents-at-nuclear-plant-1.1165552
- Videos: https://scroll.in/video/986862/watch-eyewitnesses-capture-scenes-from-the-7-3-magnitude-earthquake-in-north-east-japan
Sahara Desert once was wet and green
Nearly one-fifth of submarine vocalizations are beyond the hearing range of humans – ultrasonic frequencies beam a narrower & more precise sound which travels shorter distances
Fallstreaks imaged over Florida
- https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147886/falling-for-fallstreaks
- https://www.yahoo.com/news/cloud-falling-sky-nasa-images-211049103.html
Amount of water transported to the mantle by subduction was overestimated
Clustering of aftershocks means simple statistical models are more accurate than physics-based forecasting models
Fracturing during micro-earthquakes may cause temporary pH change in groundwater
- https://eos.org/research-spotlights/earthquakes-can-acidify-groundwater
- Paper: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020GL089885
Planetary geology: mapping boulder fields and tracks on the Moon
Using tracers to distinguish surface & subsurface recharge of aquifers along mountain fronts
Short-term variation in Arctic sea ice
Importance of environmental variables in wildfire burn area climate models
- https://eos.org/research-spotlights/evaluating-environmental-predictors-of-western-u-s-wildfires
- Paper: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020EF001645
Understanding scoria cone eruptions & impacts on landscape and atmosphere
- https://eos.org/articles/ancient-eruption-may-change-our-understanding-of-modern-volcanoes
- Paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-20354-2
Plankton in waters surrounding Antarctica play role in global biogeochemical cycle
Podcast on need to preserve archival sea level records
An explanation of the “polar vortex” – it is nothing new & should not be viewed as “scary”
8-year-old wants to know more about dinosaurs
Seismic data generated by whale songs help map the oceanic crust
Understanding rates of glacial melting at the end of the last Ice Age
- https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Rapid_ice_retreat_during_last_deglaciation_parallels_current_melt_rates_999.html
- Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666033420300198?via%3Dihub
NEMO-HD micro-satellite begins returning multispectral images
UN says La Niña climate cycle has peaked – lag effect on climate
Revised timeline of Paleozoic climatic conditions
On the 50th anniversary of the 1971 Sylmar (San Fernando) earthquake
Factors that impact effectiveness of eye-witness accounts of earthquake
First angiosperms (flowering plants) may have appeared in Jurassic or even earlier
Genetic data suggests Coelacanths are not “living fossils” from 65 myo
- http://www.sci-news.com/biology/coelacanth-genes-09341.html
- Paper: https://academic.oup.com/gbe/article/13/1/evaa264/6045956
Humpback whales are not learning songs from one another
New generation of climate models predict changes in rainfall in the Alps
Significance of atmospheric rivers for New Zealand
In Memoriam: John Scott Runge (1927-2021) – petroleum geologist
Earthquake threat in Illinois is real
In Memoriam: Robert Joseph Beltrame (1948-2020) – Geologist & geochemist
In Memoriam: Charles Henry Williams Jr (1934-2021) – Geologist & Mississippi Geological Survey
Potential for M>8.0 earthquake in the Himalayan arc
Episode of tectonic quiescence from 1.8 to 0.8 byo
Human activity (fluid withdrawal) exacerbates subsidence along Texas Gulf Coast
Stonehenge was probably built with second-hand rocks
Collapse of hanging glacier caused Uttarakhand flash flood
- https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/uttarakhand-flash-floods-due-to-hanging-glacier-collapse-says-study-121021000001_1.html
- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/india-glacier-flood-disaster-himalayas-uttarakhand
Fossil mimics may be common in ancient rocks
Perspective paper: Earth evolution, emergence & uniformitarianism
Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 15 February 2021 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
Icy conditions cause massive & multiple vehicular accidents in Texas
Will dual-acting immune-antibiotics be the long hoped for panacea?
Return to “catch & release” for illegal aliens once again puts Americans & our sovereignty at risk
How to get humans to eat invasive Asian carp? Change their name & rebrand – worked for the toothfish
Re-wilding called success as hyenas are returned to Zinave National Park in Mozambique
Living near artificial lights from street lamps & buildings linked to 55% increase in risk of thyroid cancer
CRS In Focus: USEPA GHG Reporting Program
California high-speed rail construction has new extended timeline and greater estimated cost of $13.8B
New “Civilian Climate Corps Initiative” – a boondoggle in the making for all the wrong reasons
Axis deer imported to Hawaii (as a gift) from India in 1868 have died from starvation during drought
Biggest problem in San Diego, California, is stormwater infrastructure
Austin, Texas, approves $23M to prevent gentrification near new transit hubs – “anti-displacement” fund
Proposed $2.4bn battery at Kurri Kurri will be 8 times the current largest in the world
Technological hazard: Hacker breached Oldsmar, Florida, water treatment plant control & tried to poison drinking water with lye
Technological Hazard: Data breach in Washing State impacts 1.4M people
China has declining numbers of births and aging population but with 1.4B people in China it is being called a population crisis
German “insect protection” law which restricts use of pesticides is angering farmers
Risks of aging structurally unsafe dams in California
South Carolina contemplating a plan to allow huge incinerators to melt and burn garbage
Humans need to mimic natural processes – biomimicry could deliver net benefits but still will not be as effective as natural processes
Construction of $1B electric transmission line only partly halted by legal action on environmental issues
Upcoming on Feb 25th – NRCS Rangeland Analysis Platform webinar
Just one of the problems with “sharing” human genome research data
- https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00331-5
- https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00314-6
Perspective: Parsing the politics of singular & multiple water users
Minnesota DNR gives approval to $2.75B Red River diversion project – will it really be a permanent fix?
Panama City, Florida, approves $305M infrastructure plan for drinking water, wastewater & stormwater
Alma, Arkansas, “flips” to solar array to power wastewater treatment facility – estimated cost $3M
US Dept of Interior announces Tribal Consultations
Aedes scapularis mosquito is now established in Florida – vector of a number of diseases
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/a-new-mosquito-is-making-south-florida-its-home/ar-BB1dBLMD
CRS Report: The Endangered Species Act – Overview & Implementation
New audit of wildfire risks at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico – almost burned in Cerro Grand Fire in 2000 when “controlled burn” was blown out of control
- https://www.yahoo.com/news/audit-raises-concerns-wildfire-risks-195632348.html
- Report: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2021/02/f82/DOE-OIG-21-13_0.pdf
2020 Global Carbon Budget – still hyping “global warming” due to CO2
There is once again water in Lake Dojran in North Macedonia – robbing Peter to pay Paul: pumped groundwater
Man who dredged section of River Lugg & stripped riparian vegetation is cleared by Forestry Commission
Potential impacts of Executive Order to stop O&G production & stop Keystone XL Pipeline – “heavy-handed, economy-killing efforts…will do little to rein in global CO2” – US at Paris Agreement levels
- https://www.yahoo.com/news/hurting-economy-without-helping-climate-113008106.html
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenrwald/2020/12/10/the-un-makes-the-case-for-the-us-to-stay-out-of-the-paris-climate-accord/
Measuring ozone-depleting chemicals in the Asian Monsoon
- https://eos.org/editor-highlights/measurements-of-ozone-depleting-chemicals-in-the-asian-monsoon
- Paper: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2020JD033137
Emissions of banned ozone-depleting chemical are once again declining
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210210133423.htm
- Paper - Global: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03260-5
- Paper – China: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03277-w
Can urban tree planting counteract urban heat island effect?
Book review: “Under a White Sky” – how can humans continue to exist
What is in the fish you eat? Micro-plastics
Dutch Court ordered Shell subsidiary to pay damages for oil spills in Nigeria
Will a rooftop solar unit on your roof lower electricity costs for your neighbors?
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Airborne particulate matter is also contaminated with nicotine & nicotelline from tobacco smoke
- https://phys.org/news/2021-02-airborne-particulate-contaminated-tobacco-smoke-driven.html
- Paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412021000416?via%3Dihub
Book review: John Muir’s Grand Yosemite – Musings & Sketches
Bangladesh bans painkiller from use on cattle in attempt to protect vultures from extinction
Migratory birds sense geomagnetic signature when blown off course
Evolution of six toxic butterfly species
CORONAVIRUS
Coronavirus COVID-19 statistics by country (click on USA to get State statistics)
- https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
- https://time.com/5800901/coronavirus-map/
- interactive maps: https://geodacenter.github.io/covid/map.html
LGBTQ community at disproportionally higher risk – underlying health conditions
- https://thegavoice.com/news/national/lgbtq-people-at-greater-risk-of-severe-covid-19-symptoms-cdc-finds/
- MMWR Report: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7005a1.htm
Severe thrombocytopenia triggered by vaccination that caused lack of platelets – can be fatal
Perspective: Leave your antibodies alone
Perspective: What if we never reach herd immunity?
The ever-evolving guidelines
Duh -- WHO thinking that Wuhan outbreak began circulating before December 2019 US cases
Visualizing global attitudes towards vaccines
Immune system response over time after recovery
Virus causes “reduction” in US life expectancy
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/01/210114163958.htm
Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 15 February 2021 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford
MTC awarded $768,000 for enhancing port operations in western Mississippi
$32M effort begins to restore 319 acres of Cameron Meadows marsh in Louisiana
• https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_e50e687e-67e4-11eb-8026 2fb5d5380bd0.html
Consumers could pay high price after Crown Estate sold £879m seabed rights for six offshore wind developments – that equates to £110,000 per megawatt per year
• https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/energy-bills-could-rise-crown-134747517.html
US is squandering energy-export opportunity – FERC denied export permit
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-squandering-energy-export-opportunity-113043679.html
Ports are rebounding from major infrastructure investments – money usually spurs economy
Ocean acidification is detrimental to local aquaculture in Massachusetts
• https://www.mvtimes.com/2021/02/09/ocean-acidification-endangers-local-aquaculture/
Perspective: US offshore wind prospects – overblown promises & blown-up costs
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-offshore-wind-prospects-overblown-113056989.html
• https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/02/a-lot-of-hot-air-about-offshore-wind/
Miami-Dade County considering $6B schemes in futile effort to protect coast from storm surges
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/future-miami-dade-coast-tall-174935738.html
Proposed $20M curtain wall to “protect” Las Palmas intended to redirect water to Florida Bay
• https://www.yahoo.com/news/las-palmas-constraint-everglades-restoration-110000849.html
Nature Conservancy provides new strategies for nature-based coastal resilience
• https://climatecentre.org/news/1374/building-coastal-resilience-the-natural-way-a-new-guide
Perspective: Brown bears could benefit from changing coastal marshes
California Coastal Commission approve Belmont Pool replacement project
• https://lbpost.com/news/belmont-pool-project-wins-key-approval-from-coastal-commission
California Coastal Commission to determine location fate of Ontario Ridge hiking trail
Collaborative efforts make progress on coastal studies
Economics of moving business from California to the Texas Gulf Coast
Rent decline rate slows in coastal cities
• https://www.fool.com/millionacres/real-estate-market/articles/rent-declines-slow-in-coastalcities/
California Coastal Commission to consider proposal to stop off-roading at Oceano Dunes
Property developer plan would redesign coastal waterfront at Biscayne Bay
• https://miami.cbslocal.com/2021/02/11/redesign-coastal-waterfront-off-biscayne-bay/
Monitoring flooding along the coast of Maine
Federal Court upholds state denial of Jordan Cove LNG terminal Coos Bay coastal zone permit
Changes in sea level (rising waters or subsiding land) could result in resurfacing of toxic contaminants
Environmental Site Assessment to begin at Caneel Bay Resort in Virgin Islands National Park
"To discover the limits of something, you must occasionally exceed those limits. When our most distinguished scientists say that something is impossible, they will most certainly be proven wrong. When science progresses far enough, it becomes indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke’s universal laws
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