Carbon Dioxide: How High Can It Go?

Recently, it was reported that the CO2 (carbon dioxide) level had reached an all time high of 400 ppm (parts per million) on a single day.  It is also believed that by the end of this month of May the average will be around 400 ppm. Where do these readings come from and what do they mean? I will try to answer some questions and relate some websites for further research and reading.

One of the agencies that keeps track of and reports on carbon dioxide levels is NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Here is a link to their weekly CO2 report -  Trends in Carbon Dioxide. For the week beginning May 5, 2013 the level is 399.5 which is up 2.5 ppm since last year at the same time and 21.65 ppm from ten years ago. It is important to note that May is usually the highest month for carbon dioxide levels so that generally means that this should be the highest it gets this year. These levels are mostly due to seasonal reasons - spring plants will soon "breathe" in a large portion that builds up over the winter when there is less plant matter.  This photosynthesis and respiration within ecosystems changes the levels of the greenhouse gas CO2 and also the useful, breathable gas, oxygen as it is a product of photosynthesis. On May 13, 2013 there was a single day reading of 400.07 ppm from their facility in Mauna Loa, HI. As you can see from the graph below, the levels of CO2 rise and fall throughout the year.


Source: NOAA website: Earth System Research Laboratory (Global Monitoring Division)

The NOAA/Mauna Loa website states that they are located "on the north flank of Mauna Loa Volcano, on the Big Island of Hawaii and that due to its remote location in the Pacific Ocean, high altitude (3397 meters, or 11,135 feet above sea level), and great distance from major pollution sources, MLO is a prime spot for sampling the Earth's background air in the well mixed free troposphere."  The website also states that, "The mission of ESRL is to measure atmospheric constituents that are capable of forcing change in the climate of the earth and those that may deplete the ozone layer. ESRL accomplishes this goal primarily through long-term tropospheric measurements of key atmospheric parameters such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH₄), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), ozone (O₃), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), radon, aerosols, optical depth, and a spectrum of solar radiation parameters."

Their location is such that sampling is done without as much active (locally centered) pollution adding to the overall mix.  This is important so that the measurement is globally "correct" and not just for the United States or North America. There are sampling stations all over the globe to further support the numbers that are being measured at Mauna Loa Observatory.

What does this mean for us?  It shows a consistent growth of overall CO2 in our atmosphere over the last number of decades and shows a trend.  You will find arguments on all sides of the climate change argument that says this is too high, just right or too low.  The reality is we try to figure out what has happened in the past to trigger major climate changes like ice ages because it would greatly affect the living things on the planet including us. What I believe it does show is that there is a consistent trend showing that CO2 levels are increasing over time. Is this anthropogenic (human-induced)? Yes and no. Some is nature and some is done by humans. Can we affect how all of nature is producing, using and storing CO2 - no.  The only way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to control our own production, use and storage.  It is widely known that there are many actions that humans do to produce large amounts of greenhouse gases. We can control our own behavior and it may behoove us to do so sooner than later. The problem with waiting is that there may very well be a tipping point where we adversely affect our environment to the point that it is detrimental to our well-being. 

Earth Day 2013: Stand Up for Your Planet

Here are my favorites for best place to get more information on our trip around the web on Earth Day 2013.  The first stop is National Geographic. Look at some of the best pictures taken of our planet, Take an Earth Day Quiz, learn about its history and see some great green buildings.


pictures from: national geographic

National Geographic Earth Day 2013


Extreme Green Buildings

This building is partly powered by algae. Yes, algae.

Here is a link to 5Gyres -  5gyres.org  They are studying plastic garbage patches in 5 different gyres including: Gyres in the Indian Ocean, North Atlantic, North Pacific, South Atlantic and South Pacific.

The next stop is the Nature Conservancy.          
Figure out your Carbon Footprint.

The Earthday Network where you can learn about earth day and contribute to their wall of climate change where people are sharing stories of how climate change has affected them.

Even the EPA has a special website with information and activities. EPA

How are you spending your Earth Day this year and how will you affect your own change today? Make the world a better place than what it was for you and future generations will be able to enjoy some of what we get to enjoy everyday.

Samso Island: Self-Sufficient and Carbon Neutral

The cold wind that blows from the North Sea may seem like a negative for some but for the island of Samso in Denmark it has been an economic dynamo. The 4,000 or so inhabitants not only benefit from the wind but also have bought into the plan of using renewable energy literally as they own most of the wind turbines on and around the island.

Samso decided to lessen their dependency on oil and increase their use of renewable energy.  They use wind (on and offshore), solar, biomass, and biofuels.  They now produce more energy than they consume and are selling the excess to surrounding areas.  They are even starting their own Energy Institute to show others how to become more energy independent.
Great Infographic from ngpowereu.com







They are now considered a carbon neutral island or they have a net zero carbon footprint. The only area that residents say they could improve is by increasing the amount of electric vehicles used on the island. They are currently trying to increase their tourism by adding a hotel and a fleet of electric vehicles.  Other places have adopted using all electric vehicles to cut down on the carbon dioxide emitted by fossil fuels. 

One of these is Zermatt, Switzerland who is trying to cut down on the negative impacts to their city and the surrounding environment caused by combustion engine vehicles. Most of their income is dependent on the natural beauty and use of their environment for skiing, hiking and other tourist activities.  They declared that only electric cars and other non-combustion engines that do not emit carbon dioxide were allowed on the mountain.  A side benefit is the silence from vehicles brought on by this change.

Samso, El Hierro, and Zermatt have given us hope that a move away from all fossil fuels is possible and profitable.  Maybe if we stopped subsidizing the oil companies and put that money toward renewable energy then our country (USA) might be able to lessen it's footprint as well.  As seen in a previous post, Carbon Footprints, we have a very large footprint. Maybe it's time to re-look at our overall energy plan from a long term perspective and move away from mostly fossil fuels like oil and coal which are increasing our carbon output.

First Renewable Energy Self-Sufficient Island

The first self-sufficient island that is powered only by renewable energy is El Hierro, a tourist destination located in Spain's Canary Island group.  It has a population of just over 10,000 (2003) and is 107.3 sq miles (278 km²) in area. The island uses wind, solar and hydroelectric power.  The people of the island also use organic methods for livestock and crop management.

The Canary Islands are composed of El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote. The website states that they have created the Canarian Agency of Sustainable Development and Climate Change and that they have enacted an Energy Plan for the Canaries. This plan is based on four main principles: it aims to guarantee the supply of energy; maximise its rational use through efficient consumption; promote renewable energy sources; and achieve sustainable development. They are also working on creating and developing laws and action plans designed to fulfill these goals.

This video from 2009 show their plans and shows off the island.

Cleaning the Plastic from our Oceans

The Clean Oceans Project is an organization trying to rid the ocean of plastic by turning it into a useable fuel.




Their mission is to eliminate plastic pollution from the world's oceans. They plan to clean up the Pacific Gyre by "integrating new and existing technologies to locate plastic marine debris, and develop effective and environmentally sustainable techniques for removing it from the world's oceans". Their technique will be to process the plastic into useable fuel.

We have all seen the reports about whole islands made of floating plastic (and other) debris. Birds and sea life are suffering and dying from ingesting the plastic we create. They are also dying from discarded fishing nets and lines that entangle the marine life and birds.

Below is a graphic from Clean Oceans Project that show some of the statistics and facts in a more visual way.

Cool Environmental Infographics

Here are the coolest infographics I have come across of late. Click below to access them.


Recycling By The Numbers from TheNewEcologist.com



++ Click to Enlarge Image ++
Reusable Bags

Global Carbon footprint - literally

Clean Water with a 10 cent Packet

For the millions who do not have access to clean water, a number of companies and non-profits have started to try to solve this problem.  Some organizations help raise money to install water pumps that allow them access to the clean water under the ground.  For most though, they have to drink dirty river, bay or runoff water.  About 1.8 million children die every year due to diarrheal diseases, more than from HIV/AIDS or malaria combined.

A good solution for these people would be to have a relatively easy and inexpensive way to do this.  PUR and the Children's Safe Drinking Water have come up with products that do just that. PUR states on their website that "more than one billion liters of clean drinking water have been provided by global relief organizations using PUR packets including PSI, AmeriCares, CARE, Samaritan's Purse and World Vision. PUR Packet

Children's Safe Drinking Water - This organization states that each packet costs 10 cents a piece and can treat 10 liters of water.
    $1.00 gives a child clean water for 50 days
    $7.50 gives a child clean water for a year
    $30.00 gives a family clean water for a year

Can you imagine what that could do for an individual or family? I think about that fact that I can buy a Starbucks Frappucino for around $5 and it lasts a few minutes whereas if I donated that money to this organization, then I could give a child a year of clean water.
How It Works



http://www.pg.com/home.shtml  This is a great flash demonstration where you can help treat some water on screen to see how easy it really is. 30 minutes to clean water. You can also buy your own water kit at local retailers to try it out yourself or take on your next camping trip.

Passive Water Treatment for Mining Waste

 
Researchers from the University of Oklahoma's Center for Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds have found a more natural, less labor intensive way to remove pollutants from mining locations. They use a passive water treatment system consisting of a series of filtering ponds. The water moves through each pond which removes certain contaminants as it slowly moves from one cell into the other before being re-released into natural waterways.
 
Their first study was in Oklahoma at the Tar Creek Superfund Site, part of the historic Tri-State Mining District of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. The large multi-cell passive treatment system for lead and zinc covers about 2 hectares total surface area. It includes an initial oxidation pond followed by parallel trains consisting of aerobic wetlands, vertical flow bioreactors, oxidation ponds (with active re-aeration via wind and solar power) and horizontal-flow limestone beds. Waters from the parallel trains are recombined in a polishing wetland prior to final discharge into Tar Creek.

In this study they are monitoring water quality changes, substrate pore water analyses, microbial activity, vegetation as ecological structure and its function, stream biogeochemistry, community studies and the potential for bioaccumulation.

They have extended their research into Potosi, Bolivia which is plagued by extensive environmental contamination from past and current mining operations. Annual discharges can be in the hundreds of tons of zinc, iron, lead, cadmium, arsenic and other toxic minerals. As in the photo above, the water moves from an orange sludge to clear water with this passive process. It is powered by the sun, wind and gravity and only requires checking once every 3 months.

Bolivia does pose a different scenario since it is at 16,000 feet in elevation, receives very little rain and is a desert compared to the flatlands in Oklahoma where the other project is currently.  This project would clean up the water in the area which poses a health risk since it is used for irrigation of staple root crops by the local farmers.

This project and others like it are an example of how engineering and science can solve some of our water problems now and in the future. The 3^rd Biennial University of Oklahoma International WaTER Conference is scheduled for Sept. 23-25, 2013, in Norman, Oklahoma.

Water from a Billboard?

Water is the one resource we cannot live without. Millions of people on our planet are presently unable to have access to clean, drinkable water. Water.org states that 780 million people lack access to clean water and that 3.4 million people die each year from a water related illness.  This is a solvable problem.















As we progress into the future we need to find and create new technology that can use the water we have on the planet more efficiently and to clean some of the water that is unusable due to pollution. One solution is from Lima, Peru. The area is a desert and gets less than one inch of rain a year but has 98% humidity in the air.  A university engineering department figured out a way to convert the water in the air to actual drinkable water.  The billboard produced 9,450 liters of drinkable water in the first three months of use.  This is amazing technology that if used throughout the region could provide more people with clean water.  This one billboard produces enough clean water for hundreds of families. 

Here is the video of the project information:


To find out more, see the links below:

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/billboard-air-water-peru-lima-142159082.html
http://www.utec.edu.pe/noticias-utec-presenta-panel-que-genera-agua-potable.html

Some books that have sustainable design built in for those who would not otherwise be able to afford it.

Recycled Art

I love to find artwork and art pieces that have been made with "trash".  I am not talking about the icky things hiding in your actual trashcan but the recycleable parts.  There are many things that can be taken out of the waste stream and reused in many ways. 
 
Fine art pieces that are made entirely from recycled products can be pretty amazing. I am posting pictures and links to the artists websites below to some of the best ones that I have found just this week.  Who knows, maybe you will be inspired to create something from an already existing product as well.

 
 
Made from Recycled Tires
Image Source: Yong Ho Ji

 
 
Made from Recycled Chicken Eggs
Image source: Kyle Bean - UK
 
 
Made from Pennies
Image Source: Robert Wechsler
 
 
Made from Colored pencils and fasteners
Image Source: Federico Uribe
 

 
Made from Recycled Metal Parts
Image Source: Andrew Chase
 
 
Made from an egg shell
Image source: Patricia Watson
 
 
Made from recycled clothing
Image Source: Guerra De La Paz
 
 
Made from melting down weapons
 Image Source: The Green Life
 

Made from recycled tires at the National Museum of Women in the Arts
by Chakaia Booker.



Made from Recycled Watches by Heidi voet


Made from trash collected from London's streets. When lit they create amazing shadows on the wall. Tim Noble and Sue Webster.


This art was made from cigarette butts collected off beach parking lots.
Tom Deininger



These are some sites that might get your creative juices flowing:
http://www.recyclart.org/
http://inhabitat.com/tag/recycled-art/
http://pinterest.com/jvanders/recycled-art-ideas/

Environmental Links of Interest

I just wanted to add some interesting links to environmental solutions that people have developed.




Vertical Farms - A Big Solution in a Small Space

A company in Singapore has come up with an innovative solution for farming that not only cuts down on the amount of land needed to grow plants and food but also reduces pollution and water usage.



http://planetgreen.discovery.com/videos/worlds-green-homes/

Another interesting concept to watch is the idea of green homes and sometimes small green homes.  This is from the discovery channel (of course) and has multiple areas to investigate and learn from.  The video I watched was a less than 400 sq ft apartment in Hong Kong that uses moving walls on a high tech rail system to provide multiple spaces within the small apartment.  It was designed by an architect and is very modern and homey at the same time.  Walls move out to provide a kitchen, closet, bath and guest space.  I would love to have this apartment or something like it.

There were a dozen more videos including homes with passive solar, reuse of water around the house, rainwater collection systems, alternate material use and other earth friendly options for building.