Happy Earth Day!!

Today marks the annual celebration of the Earth made famous by Senator Nelson in the early 70s.  The Earth is a beautiful place and I am always looking for ways to reduce our impact.  For example we are lookling at new roofing materials that are coated with a photochemical that negates NOx emissions by converting NOx to calcium nitrate. According to the Boral company website, the installation of their smog eating tiles negates 1 car driving 10, 800 miles over the course of 1 year.  As we upgrade and replace worn out items at our home I hope we can choose the products with the lowest environmental impact. 

If there is an environmental product that you use to reduce your impact, please share as I would love to learn more!

A Tale of Two Corals

There has been a lot of news about the decline of the great barrier reefs and the legislative actions we need to take to combat global carbon dioxide levels.  In fact this morning I was listening to NPR about a research lab located on an island out side of the Great Barrier Reef.  The researchers had a control tank and a tank that had increased levels of carbon dioxide and temperature.  Of course the non-control tank was not doing so well.  The lead researcher was disheartened about the future of the reefs.

Then this afternoon in a conversation I learned that deep water reefs are starting to expand.  These reefs are located 180 feet under the surface of the ocean. At these depths only blue light makes it to corals who grow parallel to the ocean’s surface.  Species like these banana corals have learned to survive and thrive. Threats to these corals include dredging, transatlantic communication lines, and shifting tectonics. 

As alarming as the global climate predictions are, the earth as we know it can change instantly. However, one thing we can predict is the earth and it’s plants, animals, & humans will adapt legislation or not.

The Importance of Environmental Monitoring

This last week the New York Times reported that it took us 25 years to eliminate 1600 years worth of ice deposition in South America: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/world/americas/1600-years-of-ice-in-perus-andes-melted-in-25-years-scientists-say.xml

The results of the chemical tracer analysis in the Andes will show scientists and policy makers how we will have to manage the climate challenges that we will face in the next century. 

In the environmental monitoring community there is a lot of debate about how much monitoring should be or is required to assess the impact of pollution.  In the case of the Andes, ice measurements and focused study on the glacier has lead to at least more proof that may help decision makers lean toward policies that will mediate the future changing environmental conditions.  I say that it is not only increased monitoring but also the ability to make sure you are monitoring for the things that will give you the best clues to solve the immediate or long term problems.