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« December 18, 2022 - December 24, 2022 | Main | January 1, 2023 - January 7, 2023 »

7 posts from December 25, 2022 - December 31, 2022

Monday, 26 December 2022

Elaine J. Hanford's Bulletin Boards: 1) Geoscience; 2) Environmental Science; 3) Coastal Zone Management - 26 December 2022

Last one of 2022! 

From @AWRAHQ: Contribute to the conversation! Abstracts due soon for the #AWRA2023 Summer Conference. 24 pre-selected special sessions & 5 workshops = room for a variety of abstracts. Seeking #student poster abstracts too. bit.ly/3An4qJt

Screen Shot 2022-12-26 at 8.04.01 PM

 

 

Enjoy!

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Here are Elaine's BBs as PDF and Word documents:

PDF: Download EJH_Bulletin__WW_Boards_26Dec2022__

Word: Download Campana_Seasons_Greetings_2022

Note: If a link does not work, try pasting the URL into your browser.

The articles displayed herein are selected by Dr. Elaine J. Hanford. I do not necessarily agree with the viewpoints expressed and the article descriptions that precede each link.

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Geoscience Bulletin Board - 26 December 2022 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

Newest IAEG best practice:  “Guidelines for the development & application of engineering geological models on projects” includes advisory clauses and examples of EGM applications

M6.4 near Ferndale, California, in vicinity of Mendocino Triple Junction – strike-slip - damages reported across the County & power outages – deaths & injuries

Considering liquefaction potential in geotechnical investigation for MBTA Iron Horse Park Control Center in Massachusetts

Potential for beneficial use of “produced water” as aquifers beneath the Permian Basin are declining

Geological bumper stickers

Yellowstone ducks and faults

Book Reviews:  10 Books about rocks, minerals, gems & crystals

Fossil marine tetrapod graveyard in Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park in Nevada

New climate-based model predicts faster rate of groundwater recharge of surface waters

Rate of variation of El Niño is not always constant

Histories written on palm leaves improve understanding of 1257 Samalas eruption

Methylmercury pollution settling into deep-sea trenches – bioaccumulating in hadal trench biota

Sedimentary chert records cooling history – examining oxygen isotopes in chert from Early Earth

Kuroshio Current regulates air-sea exchange of PCBs in open NW Pacific Ocean

Sediment cores reveal spatial & temporal evolution of precipitation in Indo-Pacific over last 40,000 years

Corals release chemical compounds into seawater – includes caffeine – exudates are species-specific

Headline sounds like the end of the world – but it's just a minor blip in the magnetic field which will be restored fairly quickly

Global warming and thriving dinosaur populations in later Jurassic

Mineral samples from asteroid Ryugu suggests complex geologic history

“yellow brick road” found on Lili’uokalani ridge within PMNM marine conservation area

Listen to “the bloop” that originated from area west of southern coast of Chile caused by icequake

Bottle-nosed dolphins are evolving in the Pacific Ocean

Microraptor zhaoianus – small feathered Cretaceous dinosaur consumed birds, fish, lizards & mammals

Dinosaurs exhibited dietary adaptations – plant eaters were ancestrally omnivorous

Australia was wellspring of modern mammal evolution – island-hopping to colonize the world

UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) urges more research into biodiversity of deep ocean

Chicxulub Meteor likely struck the Earth in the springtime

“The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari” documentary on Netflix

The current mass extinction event – caused by humans

Environmental Science Bulletin Board – 26 December 2022 – compiled by Elaine J. Hanford

OMG!!! Now Santa Clause is supposed to go “green” and stop handing out coal??!!  Get over it.

Potential for beneficial use of “produced water” as aquifers beneath the Permian Basin are declining

Perspective:  Progressive politics are “largely to blame for the homelessness crisis” & preclude politicians from addressing the issue

US DOD study identified 24 installations where service members are exposed to dangerous levels of PFAS forever chemicals in drinking water – report not published on website

Book Review: “The Truth about Wuhan” – complexity of the system – gain of function

Since passage of IRA, $40B invested in “clean energy” mostly due to subsidies – are we better off?

Crisis at Southern Border continues – WH cannot explain what VP has done to combat it – NY to prioritize illegal immigrants – SCOTUS delays end of Title 42 – WH begs for $$$$ - 68% of Americans want illegals to “remain in Mexico” – “We’re being invaded” – “Fentanyl is pouring across the boder”

Federal lawsuit will force Arizona to take down shipping container wall that was protecting portion of the Southern Border

US BLM to begin environmental review for proposed Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine in Nevada after Tiehm’s Buckwheat was added to endangered species list

Update:  the challenge of cleaning up the Mill Creek pipeline spill of diluted bitumen in Kansas

No Executive Order authority to mandate employees of companies with government contracts be vaxxed – purpose of major questions doctrine is to prevent bureaucrats from rewriting law

Colorado River – romancing the River:  Quo vadimus?

“The real enemy here is…climate change-induced lower flows” – No, the real enemy is over-allocation and too much human demand for limited water resources in the Colorado River

Update:  Documents reveal questions & concerns about plastic pollution in Pennsylvania over expected 30-year ethane cracker plant lifetime – long-term “greenwashing” campaign

Concerns & questions on proposed $100B carbon capture and storage ‘hub’ in Houston

Perspective:  The Truth about Greenhouse Gases – contemporary moral epidemic of “climate crusade”

Visualizing the science of nuclear fusion

New guidance suggests increasing & strengthening Tribal participation in management & stewardship of federal lands and waters

US F&WS launches Center for Pollinator Conservation to address decline of pollinator populations

Another study that suggests humans can just take water without consequences for “sustainability”

You are what you eat – common food dye (Allura Red aka Red 17 or Red 40) harms gut microbes & may increase susceptibility to colitis

Synthesizing new antibiotics (MraY inhibitors) effective against multidrug-resistant bacteria – wishful thinking till the bacteria evolve resistance

Combination of UV light & hydrogen gas breaks down some PFAS forever chemical in water – are the degradates toxic? – energy intensive

New volume of maps of big game migration corridors in the West

Outcomes of the Montreal COP15 Biodiversity meeting – “must halt human-induced extinction of known threatened species”

Proposed damming of Poyang Lake would threaten fragile ecosystem & migratory birds

Significant impacts of massive Belo Monte hydroelectric dam in Brazil – “progress destroying nature”

The day after China lifted total draconian lockdown measures there were NO direct covid deaths – departed from ludicrous “anyone who died with covid” definition

The current mass extinction event – caused by humans

France bans disposable packaging, plates, cubs & tableware in fast-food restaurants

Cases of Strep A (Streptococcus pyogenes) are increasing – some deadly – plandemic shutdown may have altered patterns of immunity

Perspective:  A “science diplomacy” strategy where “science” is used as political leverage – that is what happens when politics takes over (e.g., IPCC “global warming” or pandemic) to further a pollical agenda

US EPA released final rules on NOx & particular emissions for heavy-duty vehicles

The Conservation Fund & Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust purchasing 3 conservation easements to permanently protect 44,000 acres of land & water habitat near proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska

Canada blocked Glencore Plc’s proposed coal mine project in British Columbia, Canada, citing significant adverse environmental impacts that could not be mitigated

What happens when politics and mining policy and projects collide

Hattiesburg long-defunct Hercules Inc. chemical plant site added to Superfund National Priorities List

Ukraine assessing use of recycled concrete to rebuild

Long-term drought taking toll on wildlife in Amboseli National Park wildlife sanctuary in southern Kenya

Coastal Zone Management Bulletin Board – 26 December 2022 

Savannah Harbor has been deepened but considering raising Talmadge Bridge – study costs $175M

Environmental group opposes dredging of Georgia coastal shipping channel – will endanger protected rare sea turtles including giant loggerhead, green ad Kemp’s ridley sea turtles

Restoration of tidal zone of Baduwa’t (Mad River) Estuary is completed

$1.3M grant will aid in efforts to study estuarine restoration effects from Pensacola to St. Joseph Bay, FL

Ocean geoengineering scheme field test spreading alkaline lime powder in an Apalachicola estuary – at least temporarily neutralized some acidity and pulled CO2 from atmosphere – works counter to natural process on human time scale – “much more controllable” may be a myth:  “much greater control if it goes south”

Planting 1600 oioi plants around South Arm of Te Hakapupu estuary intended to improve biodiversity & water quality and restore habitat

Perspective:  California water conundrum hinges on Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta – 1,100 sq mi estuary where water diversion for humans impacts natural function as habitat for wildlife

Contemplating the future of wastewater treatment & discharge issues in Great Pond at Falmouth, MA

$37.7M project at Port of Long Beach in California & $24M levee at Port of Muskogee in Tulsa, Oklahoma

The enigmatic history of Nan Madol built on the shores of Micronesian island of Pahnpei

Illegal sand mining continues at Kundapur on west coast of India – more raids in series dating to before 2015

Legal challenges force US Army COE to make wise decision to withdraw ROD approval of dredging Matagorda Bay Ship Channel through Alcoa/Lavaca Bay Superfund site that would have stirred up mercury & other toxins

Coastal gopher tortoise population in Southwest Florida has been devastated Hurricane Ian wiped out 80% to 90% of populations

Septic tank pollution of coastal waterways & marine life in South Carolina

Grants from National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Coastal Resilience Fund for conservation projects in Snohomish County

National Park Service named Corpus Christi & Coastal Bend as American World War II Heritage City

Louisiana to review conditional permits for Mid-Barataria Diversion coastal project – could devastate oyster beds and commercial fishing

Pennsylvania DEP approves grants to protect & restore coastal zone of Lake Erie

Guide to the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail

Proposal to build $5.5B seawater desalination plant on Sonora, Mexico, coast and sell water to Arizona

Massachusetts announces $180M funding for offshore wind industry – sounds like more subsidies

"If only everyone believed all humanity is the color of water, getting to equity wouldn't be so difficult." - Rhea Graham

Posted on Monday, 26 December 2022 at 08:01 PM in Elaine Hanford's Bulletin Boards, Events, Readings, Journals, Videos, Films & Visuals | | Comments (0)

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Sunday, 25 December 2022

CRS InFocus Report: 'Australia - Climate Change Issues'

Bruce Vaughn gives us a perspective on what's happening Down Under with this CRS InFocus report (14 December 2022): 'Australia: Clime Change Issues'.

Download CRS_InFocus_Report_AUS_CC_Issue_14Dec22

Introduction
On a per capita basis Australians have the world’s 10th largest carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions: according to the World Bank, Australians emitted 15.2 metric tons of CO2 on a per capita basis in 2019. In 2019, Australia was the 16th largest emitter of all CO2 by country, accounting for approximately 1.3% of the global total. Some experts note, however, that Australia’s total CO2 emissions would be closer to 4% of world emissions if Australia’s fossil fuel exports are included. In 2021, Australia was the world’s leading exporter of coal, accounting for 35.7% of the world’s total coal exports, which was worth $43.9 billion. Australia also is estimated to have the third largest reserves of coal in the world, and is one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Impact of Climate Change
Observers note that some impacts from human-induced climate change, such as an increase in the frequency of extreme heat events, are already occurring in Australia, and they expect current changes to continue and intensify in the future. Average annual temperatures for Australia have warmed 1.4 degrees Celsius since 1910.

The year 2019 was the hottest and driest year on record in Australia. The number of extreme fire risk days has grown over the past four decades. “Black Summer” bushfires during the 2019-2020 bushfire season killed 33 people (with an additional 455 deaths attributed to bushfire smoke), burned more than 65,000 square miles of land, released an estimated 186 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere, and killed or displaced close to an estimated 3 billion animals. One report indicated that the emissions from these fires were more than Australia emits in a typical year by burning fossil fuels. Another study found that the annual area burned across Australia has been increasing over the past three decades.

Eastern Australia experienced four major floods in the 18 months prior to July 2022. When touring flood-damaged communities in New South Wales (NSW) in July 2022, Prime Minister Albanese stated, “The science told us that if we continued to not take action globally on climate change, then these events, extreme weather events, would be more often and more intense. And what we’re seeing, unfortunately, is that play out.” The New South Wales Climate Change Adaption Strategy states, “Climate change has already altered day-today weather patterns (in NSW) and increased extreme weather events ... with the state warming faster than the global average. Since the pre- industrial period, NSW has already warmed by 1.4-1.6°C (CSIRO 2021) which is 1.4 times faster than the global average.... This means that NSW is already experiencing the impacts of climate change.” NSW is home to just under one-third of Australia’s population and accounts for around one-third of the country’s economic output.

Screen Shot 2022-12-25 at 7.34.47 PM

The Great Barrier Reef, an important global carbon sink and key part of Australia’s tourism sector, suffered mass coral bleaching in 2016, 2017, and 2020 due to rising ocean temperatures likely caused by climate change. While Australia has long experienced drought, bushfires, and flooding, projections indicate Australia will likely experience increasing temperatures, as well as more severe floods, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, droughts, and bushfires, as a consequence of climate change.

Domestic Climate Politics
Australia has struggled to reconcile its economic reliance on fossil fuels with the need to address climate change. Australia’s position on climate change has been transformed as a result of the May 2022 election, which marked a shift to candidates favoring action on climate change. Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison of the right-of-center Liberal-National Coalition famously brought a lump of coal into parliament in 2017 and urged Australia to not be afraid of coal. Morrison’s lack of action to address climate change is seen as a key reason for his electoral defeat by Anthony Albanese of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), which won 77 of 151 seats in the House of Representatives. “Teal” independents and the Green Party,who urge more immediate action on climate change, also made significant gains in the election. Labor campaigned on a pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 43% by 2030 with a goal of net zero by 2050. (The United States has set a target of 50%-52% reductions over 2005 levels in 2030.)

The Green Party’s standing in the Senate may further influence climate change legislation. The Greens argue that “Australia needs urgently to phase out fossil fuels for export and domestic use” and achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2035. Labor will likely need the support of the Greens to pass climate legislation in the Senate. The Greens and independents may seek to leverage this to get the ALP to set more ambitious emissions reduction targets. Greens leader Adam Bandt has said he wants a commitment for no new coal mines in Australia.

The ALP issued its report Powering Australia in the lead- up to the May 2022 election. In that report, the ALP sets forth its plan to reduce Australia’s GHG emissions while creating jobs and reducing energy costs, and promises to reduce emissions by boosting renewable energy and making electric vehicles cheaper. Labor’s plan calls for increasing the share of renewables in the National Electricity Market to 82% by 2030. Labor also pledges to reduce the public service’s emission to net zero by 2030 and to invest in a New Energy Apprentices and New Energy Skills Program.

International Climate Politics
Australia’s relative inaction in addressing causes and consequences of climate change under the previous Liberal- National Coalition government was not an asset in its relations with Pacific Island Countries (PICs). In the 2018 Boe Declaration on Regional Security, Pacific Islands Forum leaders reaffirmed that “climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific and our commitment to progress the implementation of the Paris Agreement.”

In an address to Pacific Island leaders, Australia’s new Labor Party, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, discussed Australia’s new approach to climate change. She stated, “nothing is more central to the security and wellbeing of the Pacific than climate change.... We have heard the Pacific and we will act—standing shoulder to shoulder with the Pacific as we address the climate crisis.” Australia’s shift on climate change will likely help its relations with PICs at a time of rising geopolitical tensions with China in the region. It should also help facilitate the objectives of the Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP), an informal mechanism of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States established in June 2022 to foster “more effective and efficient cooperation in support of Pacific Island priorities,” including the urgent challenge of addressing climate change. Australia has increased its climate finance commitment to AD$2 billion (US$1.37 billion) over the period 2020-2025, with AD$700 million (US$481 million) of that figure to be spent on climate adaptation and resilience, disaster preparedness, and renewable energy projects in the Pacific.

Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are the primary way in which countries who are parties to the Paris Agreement (PA) communicate their own contribution to meeting the goals of the PA. Under the former Morrison government, Australia’s NDC committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 26%-28% below 2005 levels by 2030. The ALP won the May 2022 election with a platform that included a policy to reduce Australia’s emissions by 43% by 2030 and to keep Australia on track to reach net zero by 2050. In June 2022, the new Labor government updated Australia’s NDC accordingly. One climate advocacy group, the Climate Action Tracker, has observed that while Labor has committed to significant improvements over the previous government, “Australia will need to adopt more ambitious climate policies and take further action to (be) compatible with limiting warming to 1.5°C.... To achieve this the Albanese Government needs to abandon its support for new fossil fuel projects.” Domestic emissions reductions proposed by the Greens and Teal independents align more closely with the 1.5 degree goal.

Approach to COP Negotiations
The previous Morrison government reportedly resisted pressure to set more ambitious targets in the lead-up to the UNFCCC annual Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in 2021.The new Albanese government is reportedly considering joining the global methane pledge, which seeks a 30% reduction in methane emissions by 2030 relative to 2020 levels. By some estimates, 26% of Australia’s GHG emissions were frommethane in 2021. The ALP has declared its intention to bid to co-host a future COP summit in Australia with Pacific partner countries. The new ALP government’s shift to undertake more action to address climate change will move Australia more in line with international efforts at future COP meetings. Further development of the Albanese government’s position on climate change may well be influenced by the Green Party and pro-climate action independents, due to the political leverage they now have, particularly in the Senate. Prime Minister Albanese emphasized the importance of acting to address climate change in his remarks to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris in July 2022.

Cooperation with the United States
The leaders of the United States, Australia, Japan, and India launched a Quad Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Package at their Tokyo meeting in May 2022. The Quad Leaders Joint Statement following the meeting recognized “the urgent need to address climate change as emphasized in the latest IPCC reports,” adding, “we will steadfastly implement the Paris Agreement and deliver on the outcomes of COP26, accelerating our efforts to raise global ambition, including reaching out to key stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific region and supporting, strengthening, and enhancing climate actions by partners in the region including through mobilizing climate finance, both public and private, and facilitating the research, development, and deployment of innovative technology.” The Joint Statement of the December 2022 Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) emphasized the “need for urgent action on climate change and the importance of a clean energy transition, committing to pursue these as a new pillar of the U.S.-Australia Alliance.”

Crikey!

Enjoy!

"Civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice." - Will Durant

Posted on Sunday, 25 December 2022 at 07:52 PM in Climate Change, Climate & Meteorology, Conflict, Cooperation, Vulnerability & Security, CRS, FMSO & GAO Reports, World Water | | Comments (0)

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