Climate – Von Keller Blog

Data from satellites Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon has decreased since last year.

Kelley Stuart — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 15:18:15 +0000

Data from satellites Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon has decreased since last year.

According to preliminary satellite data collected by the government’s space research agency Inpe, 167 square kilometers (64 square miles) were cleared in the region last month, down 61% from January 2022, the worst month in the eight-year series.

Deforestation in January was also lower than the 196 square km historical average for the month since 2016, though January data can be especially noisy due to heavy clouds over the rainforest early in the year. The new figures came after Reuters exclusively reported on that the US was considering making its first contribution to a multilateral fund aimed at combating Amazon deforestation, with an announcement possible during President Joe Biden’s meeting with Lula at the White House.

An aerial view shows a boundary demarcation area at the Arara indigenous reserve during an operation to combat deforestation near Uruara, Para State, Brazil January 21, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

Healthy vegetation sits alongside a field scorched by fire in the Amazon rainforest in 2019. Leonardo Carrato/Bloomberg

Play Video about An aerial view shows a deforested area during an operation to combat deforestation at the Cachoeira Seca indigenous reserve, in Uruara, Para State, Brazil January 19, 2023. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

Source: Reuter

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Conservation Activist in Ghana Suing the Government to Protect the forest from Mining

Kelley Stuart — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 13:20:22 +0000

Environmental activist groups in Ghana are suing the government to prevent mining in the forest.

In response to mounting requests for more nature reserves to tackle climate change, environmental activists have filed a lawsuit against the government of Ghana to stop a proposed mining project in a protected national forest that they claim threatens their health and wellbeing.

The proposed mine in Ghana’s Atewa Range Forest is a component of a $2 billion agreement with China under which the latter will receive access to bauxite, which is used to create aluminum, in exchange for funding infrastructure initiatives in Ghana like roads and bridges.

About the Atewa Forest

The Atewa Range Forest Reserve in Ghana’s eastern region is internationally recognized as one of the most important ecosystems in West Africa due to its high species diversity, rare species, and hydrological importance. In 1926, the forest was designated as a National Forest Reserve, then as a Special Biological Protection Area in 1994, a Hill Sanctuary in 1995, and one of Ghana’s 30 Globally Significant Biodiversity Areas (GSBAs) in 1999. It is also designated as a Critical Bird Area.

The forest ranges in elevation from 300 to 800 meters. The highest parts are frequently shrouded in mist and clouds, resulting in a distinct flora and trees dripping with epiphytic mosses and lichens. Shade-bearing herbs cover the ground where the tree canopy remains intact.

Atewa forest contains at least 1100 plant species, 56 of which are threatened with extinction and many of which are endemic to the Upper Guinea ecoregion (humid forests west of Togo/Benin) with highly localised distributions. Butterfly diversity is also high – the highest of any site in West Africa – with over 700 species thought to exist, including two unique to this forest (Mylothis atewa and Anthene helpsi). Amphibians include 40 species, one-third of which are threatened. conraua derooi, a critically cndangered cogo clippery frog, has a stronghold in the Atewa Forest.

What is Bauxite?

Aluminum’s primary raw material is bauxite. Almost all of the aluminum produced in history has been extracted from bauxite. Although the United States has a few small bauxite deposits, at least 99% of the bauxite used in the country is imported. The US is also a significant importer of aluminum metal.

Bauxite is a non-mineral. It is a rock made up primarily of aluminum-bearing minerals. It forms when laterite soils in a wet tropical or subtropical climate are severely leached of silica and other soluble materials.

Why would the government allow this mining from China?

The proposed mining for Aluminum in Ghana’s Atewa Range Forest is a component of a $2 billion agreement with China under which the latter will receive access to bauxite, in exchange for funding infrastructure initiatives in Ghana like roads and bridges.

The Ghanaian government, through the Ministry of Roads and Highways (MRH) and the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA), is attempting to combine the well-known, traditional method of road construction and rehabilitation with the new concept of output and performance-based road contracting (OPRC) for the management and maintenance of selected highways and feeder roads in the country’s Brong-Ahafo, Northern, and Upper East regions.

Local Ghanian advocacy groups complaints

According to their lawyer, seven local advocacy groups and four citizens claim that mining in the forest violates their constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment, as well as their right to protect it for future generations.

The government of Ghana’s spokesman did not respond immediately to requests for comment, and the state-owned Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) declined to comment.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has previously stated that bauxite can be extracted without causing harm to wildlife, and GIADEC has promised that the expanding bauxite industry will create 35,000 jobs.

Is this deforestation of the northern region?

Experts estimate that at least a million species will become extinct in the next few decades, and the United Nations wants governments to support plans to conserve 30% of the earth’s surface by 2030 at its Biodiversity Convention next year in China.

Local groups across Africa are becoming more confident in using the courts to pursue grievances against mining companies, as they balance the need to boost job creation and economic growth with the preservation of their diminishing forest cover.

According to the U.S.-based Global Forest Watch, Ghana experienced a 60% increase in primary forest loss between 2017 and 2018, the highest increase in any tropical country, with trees lost due to illegal mining, logging, and expanding cocoa farms.

A 90 km away capital city, Accra, receives water from three major rivers that originate in the Atewa forest, which is also home to uncommon plants and animals.

Since 2017, protests, an online petition with nearly 30,000 signatures, a billboard outside the presidential palace, and backing from celebrity environmentalist and actor Leonardo DiCaprio on Twitter calling for the mining to be halted.

Bulldozers have already started cutting routes through the woodland, despite the protesters’ calls for it to be transformed into a national park.

Play Video

Source: Reuters

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World Water Day: The power of water

Kelley Stuart — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 12:07:23 +0000

World Water Day: The power of water

Water is central to sustainable development because it is necessary for socioeconomic development, energy and food production, healthy ecosystems, and human survival. Water is also central to climate change adaptation, acting as a vital link between society and the environment.

As the world’s population grows, there is a greater need to balance competing commercial demands on water resources so that communities have enough for their needs. Women and girls, in particular, must have access to clean, private sanitation facilities in order to manage menstruation and maternity in dignity and safety.

Water unites all aspects of life. Access to safe water and sanitation can quickly transform problems into opportunities, giving people more time for school and work and contributing to better health for women, children, and families all over the world. Today, 771 million people (one in ten) do not have access to safe drinking water, and 1.7 billion people (one in four) do not have access to a toilet.

Is a global health crisis caused by a lack of water?

Water cannot be considered in isolation from sanitation at the community scale. They are critical for reducing the global burden of the disease and improving population health, education, and economic productivity.

2.2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water services
(WHO/UNICEF 2019)
Almost 2 billion people rely on health-care facilities that do not provide basic water services. (World Health Organization/UNICEF 2020)
Over half of the world’s population, or 4.2 billion people, do not have access to safe sanitation services. 2019 (WHO/UNICEF)
Every year, 297,000 children under the age of five die from diarrhoeal diseases caused by poor sanitation, poor hygiene, or unsafe drinking water. 2019 (WHO/UNICEF)
2 billion people live in countries with severe water scarcity. (UN 2019)
Weather-related disasters from climate change, such as floods and droughts, account for 90% of all natural disasters. (UNISDR)
Almost all water, (80% )of wastewater is discharged into the environment without being treated or reused. UNESCO (2017a)
A cooperative management framework does not exist for roughly two-thirds of the world’s transboundary rivers. (SIWI)
Out dated agriculture practices is responsible for 70% of global water withdrawal.

How do a lack of water affect kids in developing regions?

Globally, more than 1.42 billion people, including 450 million children, live in areas of high, or extremely high, water vulnerability, according to a new analysis released by UNICEF. This means that 1 in 5 children worldwide does not have enough water to meet their everyday needs.

The study, which is part of the “Water Security for All” initiative, identifies areas where physical water scarcity risks intersect with inadequate water service levels. These communities rely on surface water, unimproved sources, or water that can take more than 30 minutes to collect. This is a basic essential to life. We can build oil pipelines all over the world, but our children still have to walk to get water to eat, shower, and drink.

Water stress has been exacerbated by decades of mismanagement, poor management, over-extraction of groundwater, and contamination of freshwater supplies. Simultaneously, water demand is increasing due to rapid population growth, urbanization, and increased water needs from a variety of sectors. Water stress is being exacerbated by climate change and extreme weather events. The resulting impact on children’s health, development, and safety jeopardizes decades of significant progress in child survival and sustainable development. It endangers children’s lives today and threatens future generations.

What effect does water have on the climate?

Water stress has been magnified by decades of poor management, poor management, over-extraction of groundwater, and contamination of freshwater supplies. Simultaneously, water demand is increasing due to rapid population growth, urbanization, and increased water needs from a variety of sectors. Water stress is being amplified by warming temperatures and severe weather events. The resulting impact on children’s health, development, and safety jeopardizes decades of significant progress in child survival and sustainable development. It endangers children’s lives today and threatens future generations.

Extreme weather events and changes in water cycle patterns are making access to safe drinking water more difficult, particularly for the most vulnerable children.

Between 2001 and 2018, 74% of natural disasters, including droughts and floods, were water-related. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of such events.
Around 450 million children live in areas with a high or incredibly high risk of flooding. This means they don’t have enough water to meet their daily requirements.
When natural disasters strike, they can destroy or contaminate entire water supplies, increasing the risk of diseases such as cholera and typhoid, to which children are especially vulnerable.
Rising temperatures can cause deadly pathogens to grow in freshwater sources, making the water unsafe to drink.
Major water pollution endangers the lives of children. Water and sanitation-related diseases are among the leading causes of death among children under the age of five.
Rising sea levels are causing fresh water to become salty, threatening the water resources on which millions rely.
Adapting to climate change’s water effects will protect children’s health and save their lives. Water efficiency and the transition to solar-powered water systems will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and further safeguard children’s futures.

The world needs to become more water-savvy. Everyone has a part to play, and we can’t afford to waste time.

Source: UNICEF

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A New EPA “Good Neighbor” Rule Seeks to Reduce Power Plant Downwind Emissions.

Kelley Stuart — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 01:56:54 +0000

A New EPA "Good Neighbor" Rule Seeks to Reduce Power Plant Downwind Emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced a new “good neighbor” rule that limits smokestack emissions from factories and other industrial sources that burden nearby neighborhoods with uncontrollable smog-causing pollutants. To enhance the quality of the air for millions of people living in areas downwind, nearly two dozen states will need to reduce dangerous industrial emissions of nitrogen oxide and other pollutants.

According to the EPA, the final rule, which went into effect on Wednesday, will avert millions of asthma attacks, thousands of deaths, and tens of thousands of hospital admissions. It will also cut down on sick days.

“Every neighborhood deserves to breathe clean air. The EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, stated that “we are aware that air pollution does not stop at state lines.

Power plants must comply with the rule by May, “locking in major emission reductions to ensure cleaner air and providing public health safeguards for individuals who have suffered far too long from air-quality related damage and illness,” according to Regan. In 2026, the restrictions on industrial locations go into force.

In addition to rules on wastewater pollution, mercury and air toxics, and rules anticipated on greenhouse gas emissions, the cross-state pollution rule “makes it impossible for utilities to make decisions based on the merits of what keeps the lights on, forcing those utilities to make decisions solely based on the EPA’s agenda,” Bernstein said.

Watch: Environmental: Proposed Changes to Protect American Families& Drinking Water.

According to the EPA, the rule offers power facilities choice in how to comply, including using scrubbers and established carbon trading systems.

Due to competition from cheap and readily available natural gas, falling prices for renewable energy, and environmental laws, the amount of electricity generated from coal in the United States has significantly decreased over the previous 15 years. According to the Energy Information Administration, many facilities have been shut down, and another 23% of the nation’s operating coal-powered fleet is planned to retire by 2029.

More than 123 million people lived in counties that frequently encountered dangerous ozone levels, according to a 2021 report by the lung association. By bringing on more hot, bright days that are ideal for raising ozone levels, climate change will probably make the issue worse.

Source: EPA.GOV

Von Keller Blog is an informational website with public news, company insights and reports of our companies events, news, press and blogging. Let’s Chat.

Environmental: Proposed Changes to Protect American Families Drinking Water.

Kelley Stuart — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 00:46:41 +0000

Environmental: Proposed Changes to Protect American Families' Drinking Water.

The EPA is warning that two nonstick and stain-resistant compounds found in drinking water are more dangerous than previously thought, posing health risks even at levels so low that they cannot currently be detected, coined “Forever Chemicals”

Although PFOA and PFOS have been voluntarily phased out by American manufacturers, there are still certain uses for the chemicals, and because they do not degrade over time, they are still present in the environment. The substances are a subset of PFAS, a wider group of “forever chemicals” that have been present in industrial and consumer items since the 1940s.

This Monday, the EPA released a “quasi” health recommendations, replacing 2016 standards that had placed the health risk levels for PFOA and PFOS at 70 parts per trillion. Products including cardboard packing, carpets, and firefighting foam contain the chemicals.

What are PFOA, PFOS, and PFAS?

Both PFOA and PFOS… the man-made substances that were once employed in the production of many different consumer goods. While they temporarily ease life, they have severe negative long-term implications on both human and environmental health.

Perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctane sulfonate–more commonly referred to as PFOA and PFOS, respectively–are fluorinated organic compounds that are part of larger group of compounds known as perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

These synthetic compounds are notorious for not being affected by lipids or water. PFOA and PFOS were widely employed to coat goods that were intended to be stain-resistant, waterproof, or non-stick (like DuPont’s Teflon) once production ramped up in the 1950s. While being practical, these highly fluorinated chemicals are linked to some major health issues. The fact that they linger in the environment for a very, very long time only serves to exacerbate their harmful impact on human health.

The will “Never Break Down” in the environment at all.

PFOA and PFOS in our Drinking Water

In 2016, PFOA contamination was discovered in 1% of samples taken from public drinking water systems around the country. Despite this, PFOA and PFOS levels in drinking water are not officially regulated by the EPA. The EPA did issue temporary health advisories for the substances in 2009.

For PFOS and PFOA in public water systems, the EPA upgraded the 2009 standards with lifelong health advisories in 2016.

Nico De Pasquale Photography / Getty Images

It informed towns that it was unsafe for drinking water sources to include levels of PFOA and PFOS (combined) above 70 ppt.

According to epidemiological data in human populations and ongoing research on laboratory animals, the EPA has hypothesized that exposure to PFOA and PFOS above a threshold may have the following effects on human health:

Effects on development
Cancer
Liver injury
autoimmune diseases
Thyroid dysfunction
Heart-related issues

How has Europe made similar changes?

There European started making similar changes back in 2020 as follows:

2020 saw the revision of the EU’s Drinking Water Directive to limit total PFAS to 500 ng/l.
The EU will prohibit the use of all PFAS in firefighting foams and other applications, only allowing their use in situations where they are actually necessary for society.
In order to work on PFAS remediation, the EU has asked for proposals under the Green Deal and is providing subsidies to encourage research.
According to research conducted in the UK between 2014 and 2019 on lakes, rivers, groundwaters, estuaries, and coastal waters, PFAS are widely distributed in English surface and groundwaters.
According to the UK Drinking Water Inspectorate’s findings, there have been no notifications of PFAS levels in drinking water that are higher than recommended.
PFAS are often examined using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry.
Fluoride-containing compound screening can be done using combustion ion chromatography.
See more.

What is next?

With federal financial support, water companies that provide services to urban regions should be able to spread out costs with the aid of the federal government in a manner similar to that of an advocacy group that works to remove dangerous substances from food, water, clothing, and other products. There are currently PFAS drinking water limitations in place in a number of states.

The House passed legislation that would mandate the EPA to establish discharge limits for a number of companies suspected of discharging PFAS into the water and create a national threshold for PFAS in drinking water. In the Senate, the bill is deadlocked.

Source: Travis Long / Associated Press

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Photo:Damir Mijailovic Pexel

A Cluster of Seaweed Is En Route To The Florida Coast.

Ndira Keller — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 23:20:19 +0000

A Swarm Of Seaweed Is En Route To the Florida Coast.

A 5,000-mile-wide mass of macroalgae known as sargassum is making its way to Florida, but it’s unclear where it will end up.

Sargassum is a genus of brown macroalgae or seaweed that is found all over the world, but especially abundantly in the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean. The massive seaweed drift is not a new phenomenon.

Researchers began to notice explosive growth in the belt, known as the Great Sargassum belt, in 2011, which was thought to be caused by excess fertilizer, raw sewage, and soil runoff.

This winter, the floating mass, which stretches from Africa to Florida in the Atlanta Ocean, grew even more alarmingly.

According to Brian Lapointe, an algae specialist and research professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, “this year could be the biggest year yet,” even bigger than previous upticks.

The algae is currently washing up in the Florida Keys, Barbados, and other parts of the region, but researchers are unsure where the majority of it will end up.

The massive seaweed bloom is just one example of a growing global invasion of macro and microscopic algal blooms thriving in freshwater and marine ecosystems on an increasing supply of nutrients such as nitrogen.

Play Video

Video Source: CBS Miami

What is causing the most subsequent bloom?

According to a recent Nature study on coastal phytoplankton, algal blooms have been linked to human activities. Lawn fertilizers, wastewater, and agricultural runoff all contribute to the pollution of rivers, lakes, and oceans.

The flow of sargassum from the Mississippi River, extreme flooding in the Amazon basin, and the mouth of the Congo, where upwelling and vertical mixing of the ocean can bring up nutrients that feed the blooms. According to the experts it’s deforestation and the burning of the forest that could play a role.

Is climate change having an impact on algae blooms?

The authors of an article called “Harmful Algae” Brian E. Lapointe *, Laura W. Herren, David D. Debortoli, Margaret A. Vogel discovered the following:

In some areas,Nutrient pollutions can be a link between changes in sea surface temperature and ocean circulation.
Warmer temperatures correlated with blooms in high-latitude areas like Alaska and the Baltic Sea.
Climate change has the potential to alter ocean circulation and the movement of nutrients that support phytoplankton blooms.
El Nino and other global climate events have also been linked to bloom frequency and movement.
Warmer temperatures have increased algal bloom-favorable seasons in temperate seas.

Where is sargassum going?

There is know way to know for sure because winds, currents play major role, and even small storms can all have an impact on where the sargassum moves.

Source: Pensacola News Journal

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Courtesy Yahoo News.