Every Year A Dead Zone Forms In The Gulf Of Mexico. This Year’s Dead Zone Is The Largest On Record.
Every year a dead zone forms in the Gulf of Mexico. This year’s dead zone is the largest on record.
From the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
“Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution enters the Mississippi [River] throughout its watershed, which includes runoff from the Midwest cropland and factory livestock and chicken farms, and pollutants from sewer systems and septic tanks in other locations...The lighter freshwater containing the nutrients creates a layered effect when it reaches the Gulf and the nutrients trigger blooms of phytoplankton - microscopic marine algae - in the spring and summer. The fresher, warmer water in the upper layer is separated from the saltier, colder water in the lower layer, resulting in a barrier to the normal diffusion of oxygen from the surface to the bottom... When the algae dies and sinks to the bottom, it decomposes, using up oxygen in the deeper heavy saltwater and creating dead zone conditions. Those conditions don't change until wind or weather, especially tropical storms or hurricanes, mix the freshwater at the surface into the saltier water.”
A monitoring cruise measured a dead zone of 8,776 square miles, “4 1/2 times the size of the of the goal of about 1,950 square miles set by the federal-state Mississippi River Nutrient/Hypoxia Task Force.” The result are marine life, such as crabs and crustaceans, that die due to oxygen deprivation.
More Posts from Envirographs and Others
The cost of offshore wind in America is dropping, from 24¢/kWh for the operational Block Island wind farm, to 13¢/kWH for two proposed projects in MD, to an expected 10¢/kWh for two projects in MA. But German offshore wind is only 5¢/kWh. Why is German offshore wind so cheap, and how can US offshore achieve those prices and compte with natural gas (~7¢/kWh).
The biggest factor is perceived risk by financial backers due to regulatory uncertainty. A clear national policy on offshore wind, and a national commitment to developing offshore wind resources, could drive those costs down.
Also increasing cost is the lack of a domestic supply chain and infrastructure. If the US invests in a domestic supply chain, including ports to service offshore wind (as is being done in New Bedford, MA), US offshore wind could become cost competitive with natural gas.
Original Article
On the two year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it's worth putting the size of that spill into context. By the time it was capped on July 15, 2010, the well had released 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf, making it the largest accidental oil spill in history.
Most (59%) Americans say that stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the economic cost, but there is a sharp partisan divide. Democrats overwhelming (77%) favor stricter environmental laws and regulations, but only 36% of Republicans agree. But this 41-point opinion gap is relatively recent. In 1994, the gap was only 8 points. Yet over the decades views of Republican and Democratic voters have diverged, with the divergence occurring rapidly and dramatically starting around 2008.
"Hotspot watersheds" with 10 or more at-risk fish and mussel species are concentrated in the Southeastern United States. This reflects both the freshwater diversity of rivers and streams in this region, and the significant conservation threats.
Sea Level Rise
For thousands of years, sea level has remained relatively stable. But now, Earth’s seas are rising. Since the beginning of the 20th century, they have risen about eight inches, and more than two inches in the last 20 years alone!
As water warms, it expands and takes up more space. That means that when oceans warm, the sea level rises. This summer, we’ve been researching exactly how global warming has impacted Greenland’s ice sheet. Our ICESat-2 mission will use a laser to measure the height of the planet’s surface. Over time, we will be able to provide a record of elevation change, and estimate how much water has melted into the ocean from land ice change.
So how much ice are we actually losing? Great question, but the answer might shock you. In Greenland alone, 303 gigatons of ice was lost in 2014!
Since we know that ice is melting, we’re working to gain a better understanding of how much and how fast. We’re using everything from planes, probes and boats, to satellites and lasers to determine the impact of global warming on the Earth’s ice.
Follow along for updates and information: http://climate.nasa.gov/
This graph shows greenhouse gas emissions from major point sources (power plants, industrial boilers) by state. It becomes clear immediately that Texas is a major outlier, representing far greater emissions than any other state. Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Louisiana, Illinois and Florida are other states with large emissions.
While the average household today consists of fewer people than 60 years ago (2.55 people vs. 3.37 people), the average house size has increased by over 150%. Bigger houses (despite smaller families) means more energy used to heat and cool, more land cleared to build, and more materials required for construction.
Good read by Brad Plumer on the recent drop in China’s CO2 emissions.
Domestic cats allowed to roam freely outdoors are not native to the ecosystem and can cause substantial damage. Cats hunt birds, rodents, reptiles, amphibians and insects that are important components of ecosystems. The first graph shows that birds and mammals are the primary prey targets of outdoor cats, while the second shows estimates for the numbers of birds and mammals killed annually by cats in the mainland United States.
A visual exploration of environmental problems, movements and solutions.
151 posts