The power of green goo

Germany debuts the first-ever algae-powered building. A residential complex in Hamburg, Germany, known as the BIQ House, has made its debut with algae as the main power source. It is a net-zero structure. Surprisingly, it only took three years to be completed.

Like fermented grapes? Like public lands and wildlife? You may have to choose…

Changing temperatures have cascading effects. Growing areas for wine-producing regions are in jeopardy as temperatures rise. Wine-producers from around the world explore alternate lands for vineyards. Not surprisingly, prime vineyard lands happen to fall in primo regions like the already densely inhabited Mediterranean or wildlife corridors of the Yellowstone to Yukon ranch land.

Why go hybrid when methane is cheaper?

Russia deals with “pain at the gas pump” by adopting natural gas cars which run on methane. Despite fears that cars will explode while using natural gas in tanks on cars, the savings is enough for people to install aftermarket conversion kits. One user reportedly gets 140 miles on about a gallon of gas, which costs him the equivalent of $3.80 in Russian rubles.

Honeybee in peril

Dramatic decreases in honeybee populations across Spain and the United States have prompted evaluation of the die-offs. Many signs point to the use of neonics, a class of pesticide that is widely used. However, disparities exist as honeybee populations in Canada and Australia – both countries that use pesticides – seem to be unaffected. Recently, a new Harvard Study was released and links widespread colony collapse disorder to a specific pesticide called imidacloprid.

Earth Month is in Full Swing!

Earth Day is April 22nd, and this month will bring a host of environmentally focused activities around the world!

In honor of Earth Day, the Environmental Protection Agency is encouraging people to “Pick 5” for the environment, which entails pledging 5 environmentally focused actions. For example, you might pledge to “help keep water clean by using biodegradable and environmentally friendly cleaning products” or “learn about composting, try it out! ” Check out their interactive map to see what people have pledged so far!

Sowing the Seeds of Healthy Eating in DC

First Lady Michelle Obama continued the tradition of planting the White House Garden this week. She had help from school children from around the nation. All of the schools that joined the First Lady have made significant improvements to their school lunch programs under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The garden will feed the First Family, White House Guests, and local charities.

Aging Pipeline System May be to Blame for Spill in Arkansas

Updates on the ExxonMobil Oil Spill in Arkansas continue and while the exact cause is still unknown, the spill is calling attention to potential risks of aging pipeline systems. The Pegasus pipeline, where this spill occurred near Little Rock, is 65 years old.

The Andes create a rain-shadow effect as moist air rises on one side of the mountains (orographic precipitation) leaving no moisture when the air passes over. (Chile and Argentina as seen from Space December 24, 2001 courtesy of NASA Goddard Photo and Video via Flickr. Photo Credit Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC)

Watering the Desert in Peru

In a massive engineering project, plans are in place to divert water from the Huancabamba river on the water-rich side of the Andes in Peru to the drier Olmos Valley over the next several years in order to expand opportunities for irrigated agriculture. The coastal side of the Andes currently lies in the “rain shadow” of the mountain, receiving less than 2% of the country’s fresh water.

Shy Cherry Blossoms in DC This Year

Peak bloom time for Washington, DC’s cherry blossoms is now estimated to occur from April 6th – 8th. This is the second time the date has been pushed back. According to the National Park Service, recent colder temperatures in Washington, DC will delay the peak bloom, but 70% of the blossoms should be in bloom during the new peak estimate.

]]> https://pancho.eps.jhu.edu/jhensdev/?feed=rss2&p=548 1 https://pancho.eps.jhu.edu/jhensdev/?p=482 https://pancho.eps.jhu.edu/jhensdev/?p=482#comments Mon, 01 Apr 2013 00:44:47 +0000 Shannon Gray http://jhens.jhu.edu/?p=482 Popular Insecticides May be Killing Bees, Green Walls Reduce Air Contaminants, Arctic Ice Reduction Linked to Extreme Weather, Extinct Species Revival, and Lead Based Paint all in this week’s Environmental News 

Popular Insecticides a Threat to Bees?

Popular pesticides called neonicotinoids or neonics have been linked to massive bee-kills in the Midwest.  Neonics are used in a dust form and often buried with the seed. Yet the exhaust from the planters spreads the dust to nearby flowers, leading to the bee die-offs.  These die-offs are believed to occur both instantly and over-time depending on the type of exposure.  Bayer CropScience, the largest seller of the insecticide, is currently developing a waxy substitute that won’t spread as easily.

Green Walls Cut Pollution in Urban Areas.

Scientists in Germany have created a computer model based on a green wall located in a Western European City.  In addition to the other well-known benefits, the simulation revealed that green walls absorb large amounts of both Nitrogen Dioxide and particulate matter in what are called “street canyons”, or the space between two tall buildings.  This study could help governments make implementations to improve air quality especially in large urban hotspots in ways other than simply reducing emissions.

Scientists: Icy Spring linked to Dramatic Loss of Ice

Scientists have linked the exposure of large parts of the ocean to the extreme weather being experienced in Europe and North America.  According to the National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) there has been a dramatic loss of Arctic sea ice, which fell to almost “the minimum recorded for this time of year”.  Thus the lack of existing ice enables the cold Arctic air to flow further south for longer periods of time.

Extinct Species Revival and the “New Hybrid”

Source: Report of the Smithsonian Institution. 1904

Synthetic Biologists and de-extinction scientists are blurring the defining lines “species”.  While evolution makes precise changes over time based on survival, humanity’s hand is far less refined.  Methods such as cloning and genetic engineering are utilized in an effort to improve or salvage a species for survival.  If species revival or de-extinction is to be successful other species will have to be integrated, whether physically or behaviorally, resulting in hybrid “species”.

Lead Based Paint found on the Shelves in Developing Nations

Lead was commonly utilized in paint to decrease drying time, while since banned in the U.S. and other Western Countries due to the toxic health effects, it was discovered on the shelves of many developing countries during a recent study.  In some cases levels of the heavy metal were determined to “exceed the US standard by 300 times or more.”  Additionally, one of the producers of the lead-based paint was found to be a subsidiary of the world’s “second largest” paint producer, headquartered in the U.S.

The Exxon Mobil Pegasus pipeline ruptured on Friday, leaking an estimated 4500 barrels (189,000 gallons) of oil into a subdivision in Mayflower, Arkansas – less than 30 minutes from Little Rock. There are conflicting reports on the source and type of oil that was spilled, with some environmentalists claiming this to be a Canadian tar sands pipeline and Exxon simply stating that the pipeline originates in Illinois.

If it turns out the Pegasus pipeline is in fact transporting tar sands oil, this spill could bring more attention to the environmental risks that tens of thousands of protesters rallied over in February, calling for Obama to stop the Keystone XL Pipeline project. Keystone XL would extend an existing pipeline (which currently runs from Alberta, Canada to Oklahoma) in two directions: from Alberta to Kansas, and from its endpoint in Oklahoma all the way to the Gulf Coast of Texas, totaling an additional 1700 miles of pipe.

Creative Commons image “Exxon” courtesy of Minale Tattersfield Roadside Retail via Flickr

Regardless of the source or type of oil flowing through the streets and stormdrains of Mayflower, people have been evacuated from their homes – and Lake Conway, which borders a state wildlife management area, is at risk for contamination – until the mess is cleaned up. More details will surely become available on the Arkansas spill as the cleanup progresses, but as of Saturday night local news stations and blogs were the best source of information; only brief updates from AP and Reuters could be found on any major news networks.  Today NPR and CBS have picked it up as well.