Category: Newsletter

Whether one prefers long walks, hikes, or connecting with wildlife through meditation and exercise, spending time in nature is beneficial for mental and physical health and wellbeing. Over time, as population increases and towns and cities occupy larger areas, nature is more difficult to access. As people migrate to urban areas, they tend to forget the importance of spending time outside in nature. According to an article by Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser, it is predicted that by 2050, close to 7 billion people will live in urban areas (Ritchie & Roser, 2018).

Wetlands and Urbanization

Wetlands are water-rich natural areas that occur mainly along rivers, coastal plains, and deltas. These areas are often subject to urbanization. As a result of urban expansions, groundwater levels decrease, which puts pressure on wetland functions.

Urban wetlands serve as green spaces where city dwellers can recreate and connect with nature. These wetlands are designed so that the polluted water from its surroundings is filtered through the artificial wetland. Unlike natural wetlands, flow patterns can change and specific zones fall dry over time. Artificial wetlands are partially controlled by humans, making these wetlands less dynamic than natural wetlands. As a result, certain visual qualities and uses remain seemingly unchanged over time.

Artificial Wetlands as Affordable Wastewater Treatment

Urban wetlands have the capability to purify urban water efficiently and affordably. Unlike conventional waste-water treatment systems, artificial wetlands are a substantially cheaper solution that require minimal maintenance (EPA, 2015).

The EPA provides several resources for the design and implementation constructed wetlands for the purpose of recycling urban wastewater. They state in their article “Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment and Wildlife Habitat” that constructed wetlands treatment systems fall into two categories: Free Water Surface Systems and Subsurface Flow Systems. These categories are differentiated by their targeted use objectives; Subsurface Flow Systems are focused on improving water quality, while Free Water Surface Systems are utilized to improve wetland habitat functions (EPA, 2015). Subsurface Flow Systems are designed to filter water through a permeable material below the wetlands surface, as to not create any nuisances or odors (EPA, 2015). This system would be an ideal mechanism for urban wetlands as residents could enjoy the green space while the wastewater below them is purified.

Both natural and urban wetlands play a critical role in coastal stabilization and flood protection. Sediment settles down in deltas, thus creating a natural barrier that prevents water from penetrating deeper into the soil. The multiple roles wetlands play for humans, as well as urban environments, are the reason why more constructed wetlands have been utilized as green space in recent years.

Importance of Urban Wetlands for Overall Wellbeing 

The benefits of urban wetlands’ ecosystem services are immeasurable, but how are urban wetlands used as a means of social prescribing? Does spending time in nature, specifically wetlands, positively impact overall health and wellbeing? 

Several studies related to physiological and psychological changes show positive changes when people move from urban areas to rural environments. Evidence suggests that coastal habitats have been shown to improve our health, body, and mind (Garrett et al., 2019). However, it is unknown whether wetlands have the same psychological affects.

For that purpose, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and Imperial College London undertook an innovative study with the primary goal to collect scientific evidence to demonstrate the importance of urban wetlands and social prescribing. The results suggest that urban wetlands improve the mood and increase the positive energy in all participants (Reeves et al., 2021). Even stressed participants showed a higher influence of wetland benefits (Reeves et al., 2021). The conclusion was that urban wetlands provide an opportunity to stop and reduce stress or bring individuals to ‘baseline’ (Reeves et al., 2021). By having a network of urban wetlands, people can quickly recharge and manage feelings such as stress, depression, and anxiety, as well as the added benefits for biodiversity and pollution control.     

Sources:

Environmental Protection Agency. (2015). Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and wildlife habitat. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-10/documents/2004_10_25_wetlands_introduction.pdf.

Garrett, J.K., Clitherow, T.J., White, M.P., Wheeler, B.W., Fleming, L.E. (2019). Coastal proximity and mental health among urban adults in England: The moderating effect of household income. Health & Place, 59: 102200. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102200.

Reeves, J.P., John, C.H.D., Wood, K.A., & Maund, P.R. (2021). A qualitative analysis of UK wetland visitor centres as a health resource. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16): 8629. Retrieved from doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168629.

Ritchie, H. & Roser, M. (2018). Urbanization. Our World in Data. Retrieved from https://ourworldindata.org/urbanization#citation.

Nuclear Testing Engenders Environmentalism

As mentioned in the previous article, the massive amounts of fallout released during the 1950’s are still present around the globe. Historian, Laura Bruno, describes in her article that the nuclear tests’ radioactive isotopes created and released as the “first environmental pollutant to take on the dimensions of a global threat.” She continues in her article that “as a result of fallout, scientists learned that pollutants could travel over long periods and distances, and that they could be accumulated in a reservoir in organic matter. This research revealed how interconnected different ecosystems are and led to the view that our global environment cannot tolerate endless pollutants” (Bruno, 2003).

Prior to World War II’s Manhattan Project and America’s effort to build an atomic bomb, there was limited knowledge on how radioactive particles were used in nuclear testing, how they spread, the persistence, the accumulation of radioisotopes, and how they would affect the environment.

The first systematic studies were likely made in 1943 at the Hanford plutonium plant. The Applied Fisheries Laboratory used x-rays to observe radioactive effects on salmon and trout in the Columbia River. Once the Hanford reactor began operating, samples were taken from the river which showed increased levels of radioactive material surrounding the plutonium plant (Anter, 2019). The laboratory traced several radioactive isotopes in water, which allowed them to develop a method to measure nuclear fallout.

The development of tools for analyzing fallout allowed different isotopes to be measured during the Cold War. These particles affected air, water, soil, plants, animals, and humans. Project Gabriel, commissioned by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in 1949, sought to determine how many atomic bombs could be detonated without radioactive contamination to cause severe health effects from environmental contamination. Plutonium, strontium-90 (Sr-90), and yttrium-90 were the most dangerous isotopes released by fission weapons. Project Gabriel found that strontium-90 was the most hazardous resulting from nuclear detonations, due to the high amounts released into the atmosphere. Moreover, due to its similarity to calcium, living organisms could absorb it. In humans, this isotope accumulates in the bones and remains present in the body for several decades.

Following the discoveries made in Project Gabriel, Project Sunshine sought to determine the concentration and behavior of strontium-90 in the environment. The project’s report devoted substantial attention to methods of gathering their data from human remains, and concluded that there was a more pronounced accumulation of Sr-90 in adults, as infant bones have a faster growth rate. Project Sunshine, among other projects, was intended to remain classified from the public. However, when the project was leaked in 1953, the AEC received public backlash from the method in which they conducted this study. Upon the discovery of these research projects, the public started to become suspicious of the government’s assurances on the harmlessness of fallout. Citizens living near atomic test sites in the Nevada desert believed they experienced health disorders due to the fallout. 

As suspicions over the effects of fallout rose, a thermonuclear accident at the Bikini atoll in 1954 had worldwide significance. After the detonation of the Bravo device, the fallout cloud did not follow the predicted route due to the high winds. This allowed the fallout cloud to extend over a vast area outside the security zone. More than 250 individuals, including Marshallese, American military personnel, and Japanese fishermen, developed radiation sickness from the cloud. Some the severe cases of radiation sickness attracted public attention. The Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare program discovered that 5% of fish caught after the cloud dispersed were too radioactive for consumption.

The Bikini incident and several other Pacific surveys raised public awareness of the harmful effects of fallout. It was discovered that even countries without an atomic program were affected by fallout. The fact that isotopes spread globally and are quickly introduced into the human food chain could no longer be kept a secret by AEC. This increased awareness and became the ground for the environmental movement (Bruno, 2003).

Weapons Testing and Climate Science

Climate science and nuclear weapon testing have a long-term and intertwined relationship. As a consequence of the Fukushima disaster, the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization tracked the radioactive plume emanating from damaged Japanese nuclear reactors. The global network of monitoring stations, a sophisticated model descendant of computer models created for testing fallout from weapon testing, successfully measured airborne radionuclides.

Over time, the methods of tracking radiation through the atmosphere have a practical application that extends far beyond the nuclear industry. For example, this method has been crucial for measuring anthropogenic climate change and tracing its major contributors. This includes measuring radioactive carbon and the way it cycles through the atmosphere, the oceans, and the biosphere. Some of the earliest global climate models relied on numerical methods similar to those developed by nuclear weapon designers. Even today, environmental scientists use mathematical models based on nuclear testing. Namely, these models have been created to predict and analyze the shock waves produced by nuclear explosions.

During the Cold War, the countries fighting for nuclear domination built facilities to create and test weapons. The labs in these facilities were equipped with powerful supercomputers with expertise in modeling and managing collected data sets to investigate the nuclear fallout. Today, they are used to observe climate change models. Researcher, Paul Edwards, states in his article that “the laboratories built to create the most fearsome arsenal in history are doing what they can to prevent another catastrophe – this one caused not by behemoth governments at war, but by billions of ordinary people living ordinary lives within an energy economy that we must now reinvent” (Edwards, 2012).

The impact of nuclear testing on the climate is another significant historical intersection between climate science and nuclear activities. Nuclear weapon designers have opened many possibilities to research and better understand the atmosphere. The knowledge about atmospheric carbon dioxide and its role in the greenhouse effect has helped both environmental scientists and political leaders understand the full extent of nuclear activities and the environmental damage caused by it.

Moratorium on Nuclear Testing

From 1945 until 1998, there were over 2000 nuclear tests conducted worldwide. Today, after thousands of detonations and irreparable damage in terms of human casualties and environmental damage, none of the world’s nuclear-armed states are conducting nuclear tests for the first time since the beginning of the nuclear age. In 1990, the Soviet Union proposed a moratorium on nuclear testing, and the United Kingdom and the United States agreed to a comprehensive ban on all nuclear testing. The last nuclear tests were conducted throughout the early 1990’s, after which, on 24 September 1996, 182 countries signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CNTBT).

Nuclear Activities Today

Despite the ratification of the CNTBT in several countries, several nuclear tests were conducted in North Korea, India, and Pakistan between 1998-2017. These countries broke the de facto moratorium that the CTBT had established with this action. India conducted two underground tests, with the government emphasizing that the explosions were for military testing. Pakistan reacted to India’s move by conducting two underground nuclear tests, after which both countries immediately announced unilateral moratoriums on nuclear testing and have conducted no nuclear tests since 1998. North Korea is the only country that has conducted nuclear tests in the 21st century. All tests were discovered by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty verification regime. The regime is designed to detect any nuclear explosion on Earth – underground, underwater, or in the atmosphere. After determining North Korea’s compliance with the CTBT, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted sanction resolutions.

Sources:

Anter, S. (2019). 5 facts about Hanford. Colombia Riverkeeper. Retrieved from https://www.columbiariverkeeper.org/news/2019/8/5-facts-about-hanford

Bruno, L.A. (2003). The bequest of the nuclear battlefield: Science, nature, and the atom during the first decade of the Cold War. Historical Studies in the Physical and Biological Sciences, 33(2), 237-260. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1525/hsps.2003.33.2.237

Edwards, P.N. (2012). Entangled histories: Climate science and nuclear weapons research. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 68(4), 28-40. Retrieved from DOI: 10.1177/0096340212451574

What is a dead zone? 

Dead zones are low-oxygen areas of the world’s oceans or large lakes. These hypoxic areas have too little oxygen to supports marine life. Although the hypoxic zones are a natural phenomenon, many of the dead zones today are created or enhanced by human activities, and are increasing in shallow coastal and estuarine areas.

Dead zones created by nutrient pollution in bays, lakes, and coastal waters are the most common and problematic since they receive excess nutrients from upstream sources. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus lead to algae overgrowth in a short period of time. This overgrowth of algae consumes large amounts of oxygen and blocks sunlight from reaching underwater plants. Eventually, the algae will die, sink to the bottom of the water body, and the oxygen in the water is used for bacterial decomposition. Creating an oxygen sink and inhabitable conditions for aquatic life.

More harmful algae blooms can be wide-spanning and produce chemicals or toxins. Toxic blooms commonly occur in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ponds, bays, and coastal waters. In most cases, cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, is the cause of harmful algae blooms. The toxins produced by cyanobacteria can harm both human health and aquatic life.

How can dead zones form? 

Eutrophication is the main driver of dead zone formation. As a result of human activities, nitrogen levels are almost doubled, and phosphorus levels are tripled compared to the natural values of these substances that flow into the environment. This has been attributed to the increased use of nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers, nitrogen fixation by leguminous crops, and atmospheric deposition of oxidized nitrogen from the combustion of fossil fuels (Dybas, 2005). Additionally, some of the nutrient sources found in coastal waters are lawn fertilizers, agricultural manure, sewage output, and stormwater. The amount of nutrients found in nature was limited, however, as human activities have increased, nutrient pollution has lead to massive algal blooms and, ultimately, dead zones. Harmful algal blooms can lead to fish kills, contaminated drinking water, shellfish poisoning, and the death of marine mammals and shore birds.

Another factor contributing to the formation of dead zones is water column stratification due to the difference in water density. For instance, in the Gulf of Mexico, eutrophication initiates a massive phytoplankton growth on the water’s surface. The size of this plankton population surpasses the natural capacity of consumers to graze it down to a balanced level. After their relatively short lifespan, the plankton die and sink to the bottom waters, where bacteria decomposition occurs. During the summer months, the water column is stratified from the limited mixing from wind and wave energy. Additional environmental factors (i.e. temperature and salinity) create stratified layers of water from top to bottom. Freshwater flowing from rivers and the warmed surface water have low density which forms a layer above the cool, dense seawater near the bottom. This stratification leaves the bottom layer isolated from the regular resupply of oxygen from the atmosphere. Organisms capable of swimming have the ability to escape the dead zone, but sessile fauna experience stress or die (NOAA, n.d.).

Categorizing Eutrophic Systems: Where are dead zones? 

Scientists have identified 415 dead zones worldwide. Over the years, there has been a staggering increase in the number of dead zones at a global level. In 1960 there were about 10 documented cases, and in less than 50 years, the number dramatically increased to 169 in 2007. A majority of the dead zones are located along the eastern coast of the United States and the coastlines of the Baltic States, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula.

Considering the dramatic increase in dead zones, scientists have prioritzed coastal systems experiencing any symptoms of eutrophication. Namely, a coastal system that exhibits the effects of eutrophication is considered an area of concern. These areas are at the most significant risk of developing hypoxia. There are 233 areas of concern along the western coast of Central and South America and the coastlines of Great Britain and Australia.

Despite the increasing amount of dead zones in our waters, there are systems in recovery from hypoxia. For example, the Black Sea is a system that once experienced yearly hypoxic events, but is now in a state of recovery and improvement. Similarly, Boston Harbor in the United States and the Mersey Estuary in the United Kingdom have improved water quality.

The Largest Dead Zone in the World

The number of dead zones and their size and exact location varies each year. The overall area of dead zones across the world is estimated to be at least 1,544,263 square miles, an area equal to the size of the European Union (Loyd-Smith & Immig, 2018). The largest dead zones are the Gulf of Oman – 63,700 square miles, the Baltic Sea – 27,027 square miles, and the Gulf of Mexico – 6,952 square miles (Carstensen & Conley, 2019; NOAA, 2019; Queste et al., 2018).

The Impact of Dead Zones

In addition to the environmental impact, dead zones have a negative effect on the economy. For fishermen who rely on the ocean to provide a livelihood, dead zones mean they have to travel greater distances from shores to find areas where fish congregate. This is impossible for small boats, and there is added cost for fuel and staff members. According to NOAA estimations, dead zones cost the U.S. seafood and tourism industries approximately $82 million annually.

What are the solutions?

Reducing nutrient pollution and keeping fertilizers on land and out of coastal water is the primary goal of lowering dead zones. And the best way to accomplish that is through cooperation at the international level. The ecosystems in the world’s oceans are fragile. Increasing hypoxia and dead zones, warming oceans, and rising acidification create multiple stressors to marine ecosystems.  

Sources:

Carstensen, J. & Conley, D. J. (2019). Baltic Sea hypoxia takes many shapes and sizes. Bulletin of Limnology and Oceanography, 28(4), 125-129. Retrieved from doi:10.1002/lob.10350.

Dybas, C.L. (2005). Dead zones spreading in world oceans. BioScience, 55(7), 552–557. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2005)055[0552:DZSIWO]2.0.CO;2

Lloyd-Smith, M. & Immig, J. (2018). Ocean pollutants guide: Toxic threats to human health and marine life. IPEN. Retrieved from https://ipen.org/sites/default/files/documents/ipen-ocean-pollutants-v2_1-en-web.pdf

NOAA. (2019). Large ‘Dead Zone’ measured in Gulf of Mexico. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved from https://www.noaa.gov/media-release/large-dead-zone-measured-in-gulf-of-mexico

NOAA. (2011). Congressional interest in harmful algae and dead zone bill prompts hearing. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. Retrieved from https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/cscor-provides-testimony-to-congress-in-support-of-harmful-algae-and-hypoxia-law/

NOAA. (n.d.). Operational Gulf of Mexico hypoxia monitoring. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. Retrieved from https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/operational-gulf-of-mexico-hypoxia-monitoring/

Queste, B. Y., et al. (2018). Physical controls on ocean distribution and denitrification potential in the north west Arabian Sea. Geophysical Research Letters, 45(9), 4143-4152. Retrieved from doi:10.1029/2017GL076666.

Advancing Sustainable Agriculture to Feed Earth’s Growing Population

Feeding a growing global population, sustaining global economic stability, and improving quality of life requires methodologies that effectively manage the interrelated food-energy-water (FEW) systems. Providing sustainable food, water, and energy for 9.7 billion by 2050 in a manner that does not jeopardize the environment is undoubtedly the most thought-provoking challenge of today’s society.

Increased demand for food, water, and energy in the next 30 years will increase the pressure on environmentalists and governments. The demand itself is troubling as climate change exacerbates the pressure on our resources. Storms and other severe weather occurrences increase the chances of disruptions in the food supply chain and energy distribution. Additionally, the land area required to make food production feasible is already in use. The land tat hasn’t been used includes tropical forests and grassland reserves, which sustain biodiversity and ecologically sensitive areas. Adding new land is not an option for increased food supply, therefore increasing the effectiveness and yields in the existing agriculture, and decreasing food waste globally is required to ensure sustainable food production

The Food, Energy, and Water Nexus

Successful FEW projects have a bright future with higher chances of providing effective results while using a transdisciplinary approach. The policies and practices of ecological modernization and sustainable supply chains directly impact the food-energy-water nexus from commercial and industry perspectives. Providing a sustainable supply of F-E-W while considering land-use practices, changing demands in consumer preferences, and climate variability requires the joint involvement of science, engineering, technology, industry, business, and governments.  

A transdisciplinary approach investigates a broad range of factors that address sustainability, and provides the most suitable solutions. This approach researches different phenomena based on reductive, reasoned, and detailed studies. For example, the food production capacity increased with the discovery of chemical pesticides and their implementation in agriculture. As discussed in Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, the enormous ecological costs opened a new perspective for upgrading the U.S. environmental policy. This opens the opportunity for solving problems with global significance. The multi-level structure of the nexus provides opportunities for identifying gaps and addressing ineffective production practices.   

FOOD REVIEW  

Increasing Agricultural Yields with Reduced Environmental Impacts

Advancement of mechanization and usage of fertilizers, pesticides, plant breeding, and irrigation technology has significantly improved agricultural yields over the past century. Such advances have ensured economic benefit by generating a trade surplus in many countries. Computational science and data analysis provide opportunities for future enhancement and increase yields for the increasing population. For example, imaging sensors can detect and diagnose plant diseases, detect greenhouse gases, and reduce the potential decrease in agricultural productivity. Applications can estimate the appropriate amount of pesticides and other chemicals and minimize agrochemical use without compromising the quality and quantity of the yields. Genetic engineering has proven highly effective in developing crop varieties that provide the highest productivity under the extreme impact of climate change. The resilience and efficacy of agricultural production can be achieved with a deeper understanding of plant genetics, farm management practices, local conditions, and a complex set of sciences that will facilitate these advances.

Reducing Food Waste

The most significant opportunity to stabilize the food supply for the growing population is reducing food waste globally. It is estimated that approximately one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted. Each step of the food chain incurs certain losses such as spills in the field, transportation can cause damages or degradation to food, end consumers tend store food inadequately, or simply throw away their food. In lesser-developed countries, over 85% of food waste occurs before the food reaches end consumers, while approximately 30% of food waste occurs at the consumer level in more-developed countries.

Reducing food loss requires technologies and systems to be implemented throughout the food chain– from harvest, processing, distribution, and storage. For instance, nanotechnology-based protective films can increase the shelf life of various products. Sensors can estimate food quality and could reduce food loss. Last but not least, strategies and plans are needed to inform the end consumers about all risks and damages that food waste causes.

In addition to increasing agricultural yields and reducing food waste, shifting dietary patterns is another effective method for reaching a sustainable food supply. Considering the fact that 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by livestock farming, the shift in dietary patterns could reduce the environmental damage and resource burden of feeding the increasing world population. According to World Resources Institute estimations, nutritional changes could provide food for approximately 30% more people with the same area of agricultural land.

WATER REVIEW  

Overcoming Water Scarcity

Surface water and groundwater resources that supply ecosystems and the human population are increasingly stressed. it is estimated that global water use will increase by 55% by the year 2055. Freshwater is a limited resource as it makes up only 0.77% of all water on Earth. While these resources remain constant, the distribution is widely impaired in different areas. When water demand exceeds the available water supply, competition for available resources occurs. This is known as water scarcity. Today, we are already facing water scarcity as 2.8 billion people worldwide face water scarcity for at least one month annually. Those who live in water-stressed regions are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events such as droughts and environmental degradation.

Innovations in Water Supply and Increased Efficiency of Water Use

Regions faced with water scarcity have devised ways to create freshwater from seawater through desalination processes. This process involves turning seawater into fresh water through reverse osmosis and distillation. As of 2015, over 18,000 desalination plants have produced nearly 23 billion gallons of freshwater per day. However, these technologies are expensive and energy-intensive, making them unsuitable for widespread solutions. Lower-energy approaches have been tested to provide a suitable alternative to desalination plants. One approach utilizes sunlight to activate a heat-absorbing membrane that is embedded with nanoparticles to distill seawater. This type of innovative technology could provide off-grid desalination at the household or community scale.

Scientists are developing technologies for water supplies through the recovery and reuse of municipal wastewater, stormwater, greywater, and contaminated groundwater. New technologies are looking for solutions to collect wastewater in cities or neighborhoods and treat it for non-potable uses, such as irrigation, street cleaning, fire-fighting, industrial processes, heating and cooling, etc.

Reduced water use is another equally important measure toward achieving water sustainability. Emerging technologies offer a variety of opportunities to increase water use effectiveness. This will provide optimal water use for the growing population and future generations as well. Agriculture would greatly benefit from these techniques as the largest water user globally. For example, engineering solutions in agriculture have utilized including precision irrigation tools, advanced ground-based sensors, and remote sensing data to gauge irrigation needs more precisely.

Redesigning and Revitalizing Water Distribution Systems

In the early and mid 20th century in high-income countries, water treatment and innovation of distribution systems contributed to significant improvements in public health. However, over time, and with the growing populations, these systems have outlived their intended lifespan. Old distribution pipes need restoration and replacement to provide water reliability and efficiently.

ENERGY REVIEW  

Providing Clean Energy to Meet Growing Global Demand

The economic growth of countries, increased productivity, and improved living standards are almost entirely dependent on the delivery of energy services. As the population grows, global energy needs are expected to increase. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that global energy consumption will grow by 28% between 2015 and 2040. As temperatures rise from the effects of climate change, the global energy demand from air conditioners will triple from 2016 to 2050, leading to the requirement for new electricity capacity equivalent to the capacity of the United States, the European Union, and Japan combined. 

Switching to More Sustainable Energy Sources

There are many options for producing energy with little to no carbon dioxide emissions. Solar , wind-based energy, hydropower, waves energy, and geothermal energy are the most promising renewable sources. However, governments and environmentalists have yet to determine the environmental impacts, economic costs, and benefits of renewable energy sources. For instance, wind and solar projects will reduce CO2 emissions, but, their implementation for widespread usage requires land area for installation, additional service roads, and installation of such systems can affect recreational purposes of the environment. Additionally, producing renewable energy components increases the environmental and economic costs.     

Finding Ways to Get Energy Where It Is Needed

Advances in production, transmission, and energy storage, combined with reduced costs, renewable energy technologies, and replacing traditional energy sources will provide access to reliable renewable energy supplies worldwide. A promising solution for locally-generated electricity is the usage of renewable “microgrids.” This would provide energy to remote regions that are not connected to conventional power grids through solar panels, wind, or hydropower. Alaska has been the leader in developing microgrids since the 1960s, and today, 70 microgrids contribute about 12% of the renewable energy used globally.

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Climate

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Wetlands are biodiverse ecosystems that provide a wide range of services from food security, climate change mitigation. Healthy and functioning wetlands are crucial for humans through ecosystem services. However, human activities can impact the quality of a wetland’s drainage pattern, pollution concentration, and disrupted flow regimes. Wetlands are estimated to cover a global area almost as large as Greenland, but their area is declining extremely fast. With over 35% losses since 1970, this puts wetland plants and animals in crisis, where a quarter of species are endangered and at risk of extinction (Gardner et al., 2015).

Despite all the ecological benefits wetlands provide, these ecosystems are often neglected and have received little attention from policy-makers, conservationists, and scientists when discussing climate change and biodiversity protection. Many areas globally, such as the mangroves of South-East Asia, the marshlands of South America, and the swamps of Central Africa, are being drained and dammed at higher rates.  

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) took place in Glasgow last fall. All parties involved agreed to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Nations lined up to pledge an end to deforestation, and the leaders of more than 100 countries with approximately 85% of the world’s forests agreed to end deforestation by 2030. This agreement is a type of re-signing of a few equivalent promises for ending wetland loss. According to a statement by Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, in over 100 years, human activities have contributed to destroying 50% of the world’s wetlands. A report published by Nick Davidson indicates that wetland loss may have totaled to 87% since 1700 (Davidson, 2014). There has been a much faster rate of wetland loss during the 20th and early 21st centuries, with a loss of 64–71% of wetlands since 1900 (Davidson, 2014). This loss occurs at a faster rate than for any other major ecosystem. 

In a paper supported by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), author, Hans Joosten, highlights the importance of wetlands as highly space-effective carbon stocks. For instance, peatlands cover approximately 3% of the global land area, but contain more carbon than the entire forest biomass of the world (Joosten, 2015). Drainage of these areas leads to carbon and nitrogen release as greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Statistical data shows that as a result of 15% of the peatlands that have been drained, the global anthropogenic CO2 emissions were increased by 5% (Joosten, 2015). Additionally, the destruction of these ecosystems decreases the peatlands’ capacity for water purification, flood control, and habitat provision for specialized biodiversity. This only highlights peatlands’ vital role in national climate change mitigation policies.

Wetlands have the ability to store water and release it to maintain river flows after rain events. This sponge-like feature protects us from floods and disastrous storm events. In mid-July 2021, the Kyll river close to the German-Belgian border over-flowed into neighboring towns (Madgwick, 2022). The flooding took more than 220 lives and cost an estimated $40 billion for repairs. The rainstorm that caused the flooding was unparalleled, but there is another hidden contributor to the floods. Land use across Europe has been dramatically changed, and the destruction of natural wetlands limits the capacity to absorb heavy rains, leaving river-side towns vulnerable to flooding events (Madgwick, 2022).

Another unique ability of wetlands is protection against wildfires. Healthy peatlands have the natural ability to hold decaying moss and water to support a living rug of a unique fire-resistant moss called sphagnum. This feature enables these areas to act as a fire break and prevent fires from spreading across a wetland.

Ultimately, all water systems need protection and restoration. It would not be compelling enough if we focused on wetlands rehabilitation alone. These systems work in concert with each other and must be considered in all policies geared towards climate resilience and ecosystem protection.

Sources:

Davidson, N. C. (2014). How much wetland has the world lost? Long-term and recent trends in Global Wetland Area. Marine and Freshwater Research, 65(10), 934–941. https://doi.org/10.1071/mf14173

Gardner, R., Barchiesi, S., Beltrame, C., Finlayson, M., Galewski, T., Harrison, I., Paganini, M., Perennou, C., DE, P., Rosenqvist, A., & Walpole, M. (2015). State of the world’s wetlands and their services to people: A compilation of recent analyses. Ramsar Briefing Note No. 7. Gland, Switzerland: Ramsar Convention Secretariat. Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2589447

Joosten, H. (2015). Peatlands, climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. Nordic Council of Ministers. Retrieved from: https://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/library/ny_2._korrektur_anp_peatland.pdf

Madgwick, J. (2022). Opinion: Germany needs to invest in nature to defend against floods: Deutsche Welle. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/en/opinion-germany-needs-to-invest-in-nature-to-defend-against-floods/a-60607186