Month: November 2012

Hurricane Disasters and Debris: Don’t Let Renewable Fuel Go to Waste

Read the full post from the Rocky Mountain Institute.

In the aftermath of the ~1,000-mile wide “perfect storm” comprising Hurricane Sandy and an early winter front on the East Coast this week, emergency work crews have been dispatched to rapidly clean up roads and repair downed power lines. Much of this work involves removing fallen trees, grinding them down in industrial wood chippers, and trucking it all off to repositories. In this process, likely millions of tons of viable biomass fuel will be left to rot in landfills and other final resting places. There, the biomass is often comingled with contaminating debris, making it unfit for energy recovery.

Can Higher Ed Lead Institutional Green Procurement into a New Era?

Read the full post on the AASHE Blog.

Sustainable procurement work has never been more exciting. New data, science and processes are coming together with years of on-the-ground experience to create a new paradigm. A higher education pilot project is laying the groundwork for a sustainable procurement leadership recognition program, modeled on the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system. If that program comes to fruition, it could radically accelerate the adoption and effectiveness of sustainable procurement in sectors far beyond higher education.

Higher education sustainability news roundup

OneEnergy Renewables Announces 2013 Energy Scholars Class
OneEnergy Renewables, a developer of large-scale clean energy projects, announced its 2013 OneEnergy Scholars class at NetImpact 2012, the premier event for students and professionals using their careers for good. The OneEnergy Scholars program accelerates the careers of high potential individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and vision in the field of renewable energy.

Western, Mayo, Hillview plan greenhouse on Ivy Motel site
Sustainable urban agriculture could soon take root in downtown La Crosse, thanks to a creative solution by a community partnership. Western Technical College, Hillview Urban Agriculture Center and Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare announced Monday that they are teaming up to create the the Urban Landscape and Agriculture Center at Seventh and Vine streets. The greenhouse, which will occupy WTC’s former Ivy Motel residence hall, will lease its space to HUAC at a reduced rate.

Energy Channel debuts on campus cable
If you live on campus, you might have noticed that you have a new channel on your TV.  This one’s airing a different kind of reality show. The Energy Channel, channel 5, is currently showing on TVs in the lobbies of residential buildings across campus. The channel currently displays bar graphs showing the energy use of some of the suite-style buildings on campus over various lengths of time, including a single day, a week, and a month. Dr. Steve Hovan, of the Department of Geoscience, and Dr. Jack Makara, of the Office of Housing, Residential Living, and Dining, were the ones who came up with the idea of monitoring energy use in residence halls. The goal of the project is to increase residential students’ awareness of their energy impact, while reducing energy consumption in the residence halls and promoting a lasting awareness among students of energy conservation and sustainability. So far, the channel is getting data from five of the eight suite-style buildings on campus. By the end of the semester, they hope to have data from all eight suite-style buildings.

Friday Night Lights Program to save energy, utility costs
The University of Toledo is taking another step toward environmental sustainability as turning off unneeded lights becomes a new priority. Two student organizations, Engineers Without Borders and the Society for Environmental Education, have teamed up with Brooke Mason, UT interim sustainability specialist, to create the Friday Night Lights Program. Students involved will spend their Friday nights turning out lights on campus that would be left on over the weekend.

University of Michigan celebrates bike week after installing pump and service stations on campus
U-M recently installed two bicycle tire pumps and a repair stand on campus and this week students, dubbed bike ambassadors, will be at the stands from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. to help people with their bike problems.

Plans to cultivate on-campus garden approved
The Tallahassee Sustainability Group (TSG) is spearheading a plan to build and maintain an on-campus garden at Florida State.

CEFIA to Loan $1 Million for College Energy Efficiency Program
Connecticut’s Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA) is lending $1 million for “Campus Efficiency Now”, a new program aimed at advancing energy efficiency and promoting cleaner, cheaper and more reliable energy  for Connecticut’s independent colleges.

UC Berkeley researchers, community team up to eliminate toxic chemicals
UC Berkeley researchers are teaming up with local organizations to plant thousands of ferns in a South Berkeley lot in an effort to extricate toxic chemicals and eventually create a new haven of green gardens. The project, spearheaded by the campus department of environmental science and the citywide nonprofit organization Berkeley Partners for Parks, will experiment with pteris vittata, also known as the Chinese brake — a specialized fern known to extract a thousand times more arsenic from the soil than a typical plant. If successful, the city will then transform the area into a greenway lined with bicycle paths and trees.

Help make the National Environmental Methods Index better

The National Environmental Methods Index (NEMI) is being upgraded to a new operating platform and they want the opinions of users on design features and functionality they want to see. If you are interested in helping, share your opinions about NEMI here.

This survey closes on Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012.

Climate change threatens sweet smell of morning coffee

Read the full story at Planet Ark.

Rising temperatures due to climate change could mean wild arabica coffee is extinct in 70 years, posing a risk to the genetic sustainability of one of the world’s basic commodities, scientists said.

Although commercial coffee growers would still be able to cultivate crops in plantations designed with the right conditions, experts say the loss of wild arabica, which has greater genetic diversity, would make it harder for plantations to survive long-term and beat threats like pests and disease.

Large-Scale Biochar Production from Crop Residue: A New Idea and the Biogas-Energy Pyrolysis System

Shenqiang Wang, Xu Zhao, Guangxi Xing, Linzhang Yang (2013). “Large-Scale Biochar Production from Crop Residue: A New Idea and the Biogas-Energy Pyrolysis System.” BioResources 8(1). Online: http://ojs.cnr.ncsu.edu/index.php/BioRes/article/view/BioRes_08_1_0008_Wang_Editorial_Large_Scale_Biochar_Crop_Residue.

Abstract: Biochar is an effective means to withdraw carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and consequently influence the trend of global climate change. However, there still are substantial knowledge gaps for this idea to be applicable. One big question is how to produce biochar from biomass on a large scale. Our idea is to use biogas produced from agricultural wastes as thermal energy for biochar production from cheap crop residues. A continuous biogas-energy pyrolysis system has been designed and successfully piloted to utilize crop residues for biochar production.

New Labeling Initiative Seeks to Promote Biochar-Grown Food

Read the full post at Geoengineering Politics.

A new, Kansas-based initiative has been launched called “Cool-Food,” which aims to institute a carbon smart food labeling system based on utilization of biochar.

Potential Impact of Biochar Water-Extractable Substances on Environmental Sustainability

James Weifu Lee , Cameron Smith , and Eric Buzan (2012). “Potential Impact of Biochar Water-Extractable Substances on Environmental Sustainability.” ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering, online ahead of print. DOI: 10.1021/sc300063f.

Abstract: Application of biochar as a soil amendment could be a significant approach for carbon sequestration to possibly control climate change for energy and environmental sustainability. However, more studies are needed in a number of research areas, including the development of clean biochar materials free of any harmful substances, before this approach could be implemented at a global scale. In this study, biochar water-extractable substances were tested for their potential harmful effects on the growth of aquatic photosynthetic microorganisms including both blue-green alga (cyanobacteria Synechococcus) and eukaryotic green alga (Desmodesmus) that represent the primary photosynthetic producers of the aquatic environment. The water extracts from three different biomass-derived biochar materials varied widely in their dissolved organic and inorganic contents, and in their characteristics including their pH values. Bioassays with pinewood-derived biochar water extract showed significant inhibitory effect on aquatic photosynthetic microorganism growth in dose-dependent manner, while chicken litter and peanut shell-derived biochar water extracts showed no signs of growth inhibition. The pinewood-derived biochar water-extracted substances were further separated into three fractions based on their molecular sizes and electric charges through an electrodialysis separation process using a cellulose-acetate membrane with a 500-delta cutoff pore size. Our analysis showed that the active component of pinewood-derived biochar water-extracted substances that are toxic to both blue-green alga (cyanobacteria Synechococcus) and eukaryotic green alga (Desmodesmus) is likely a 500-delta (or smaller) organic chemical species that carries at least one carboxyl group. This finding is important to engineering a high-tech biochar that can be free of any undesirable substances for its soil applications towards agricultural and environmental sustainability.

Biochar in horticulture: Prospects for the use of biochar in Australian horticulture

Download the document.

Biochar in horticulture was commissioned by Horticulture Australia Ltd to help horticultural industries assess the potential of biochar for use in their crops. A team of experts have reviewed the scientific literature to provide up to date, peer- reviewed information on soil carbon science and policy, biochar production and risks, biochar’s influence on soils and plants, and economics of its use. The review concludes that biochar does have potential for use in horticultural production, but more research is needed, as biochar science is still in its infancy.

Great Lakes legacy: Old contaminants declining; newer ones on the rise

Read the full story in Great Lakes Echo.

Legacy contaminants are decreasing more quickly than previously reported in three of the Great Lakes, but have stayed virtually the same in two other lakes, according to new research.

The four studies cited in this article are:

Chang F, Pagano JJ, Crimmins BS, Milligan MS, Xia X, Hopke PK, Holsen TM (2012). “Temporal trends of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in Great Lakes fish, 1999-2009.” Science of the Total Environment 439, 284-290. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.09.019.

Abstract: Temporal trend analysis of the latest Great Lake Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program (GLFMSP) data showed statistically significant decreases in persistent bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) contaminant (polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichloro-diphenyl-trichlorethane and its metabolites (DDTs), dieldrin, cis-chlordane, oxychlordane, cis-nonachlor) concentrations in Lakes Huron, Ontario, and Michigan lake trout over the period of 1999 to 2009. In contrast, for most contaminants, no statistically significant concentration trends were found in top predator fish in Lakes Superior and Erie during the same period. For Lakes Huron, Ontario, and Michigan 5.0±2.6% average annual concentration decreases were found for PCBs, DDTs, dieldrin, and other organochlorine pesticides (OCs) decreased at a faster rate, ranging from 10±4.3% to 20±7.1% per year. For these three lakes, with the exception of PCBs, these current decreases are greater than were shown by an earlier trend analysis that estimated an annual contaminant decrease of about 2-5% for the period of 1980 to 2003. For Lakes Superior and Erie, the finding of no statistically significant trend is in agreement with previously reported results for these lakes.

Ruiqiang Yang, Hua Wei, Jiehong Guo, and An Li (2012). “Emerging Brominated Flame Retardants in the Sediment of the Great Lakes.” Environmental Science and Technology 46 (6), 3119–3126. DOI: 10.1021/es204141p.

Abstract: The concentrations of 13 currently used brominated flame retardants (BFRs) were analyzed in 16 sediment cores collected from the North American Great Lakes. Among them, 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE), decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), 1,2-dibromo-4-(1,2-dibromoethyl)cyclohexane (TBECH), and hexachlorocyclopentadienyl dibromocyclooctane (HCDBCO) were more frequently detected than others. In general, these emerging BFRs have much lower concentrations than polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dechloranes. Inventories of the five BFRs named above, given on a logarithm basis, were found to decrease linearly with the increasing latitude of the sampling locations, but with weaker statistics than those previously reported for the dechloranes. Logarithm of surface fluxes, on the other hand, was found to be a better parameter in correlating with the longitude. With regard to time trends, the exponential increases in concentrations of these BFRs, particularly DBDPE and BTBPE, in recent years are particularly disturbing. The sediment concentration of DBDPE doubles every 3–5 years in Lake Michigan, and approximately every 7 years in Lake Ontario. The corresponding doubling times for BTBPE are about 5 and 7 years in Lakes Ontario and Michigan, respectively, although declines or leveling off were observed in the top sediment layers in Lake Ontario. In contrast to PCBs, PBDEs, and most dechloranes, the correlations between the surface concentration of emerging BFRs and the latitude or longitude of the sampling sites were not strengthened by normalization of the concentration based on the organic matter content of the sediment.

Marie-Line Gentes, Robert J. Letcher, Élyse Caron-Beaudoin, and Jonathan Verreault (2012). “Novel Flame Retardants in Urban-Feeding Ring-Billed Gulls from the St. Lawrence River, Canada.” Environmental Science and Technology 46 (17), 9735–9744. DOI: 10.1021/es302099f.

Abstract: This study investigated the occurrence of a comprehensive suite of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and current-use flame retardants (FRs) in ring-billed gulls breeding in a highly industrialized section of the St. Lawrence River, downstream from Montreal (QC, Canada). Despite major point-sources and diffuse contamination by FRs, nearly no FR data have been reported in birds from this area. Bis(2-ethylhexyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrabromophthalate (BEHTBP) was detected in 89% of ring-billed gull livers (mean: 2.16 ng/g ww; max: 17.6 ng/g ww). To our knowledge, this is the highest detection frequency and highest concentrations reported thus far in any avian species or populations. Dechlorane Plus (DP) isomers were also particularly abundant (anti-DP detected in 100% and syn-DP in 93% of livers). Other detected FR compounds (3–14% detection) included 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EHTBB), hexachlorocyclopentenyl-dibromocyclooctane (HCDBCO) and β-1,2-dibromo-4-(1.2-dibromoethyl)-cyclohexane (β-TBECH). Mean BDE-209 (57.2 ± 12.2 ng/g ww) in ring-billed gull livers was unexpectedly high for this midtrophic gull species, exceeding levels reported in several apex raptors such as peregrine falcons. BDE-209’s relative contribution to ∑PBDEs was on average 25% (exceeding BDE-47 and BDE-99) and contrasted with profiles typically reported for fish-eating gull species. The present study highlighted preoccupying gaps in upcoming FR regulations and stressed the need for further investigation of the sources of FR exposure in highly urbanized areas.

Yuning Ma , Marta Venier , and Ronald A. Hites (2012). “2-Ethylhexyl Tetrabromobenzoate and Bis(2-ethylhexyl) Tetrabromophthalate Flame Retardants in the Great Lakes Atmosphere.” Environmental Science and Technology 46(1), 204–208. DOI: 10.1021/es203251f.

Abstract: Two relatively new flame retardants, 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (TBB) and bis(2-ethylhexyl)-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), were identified and quantitated in gas and particle-phase air samples collected from six sites near the shores of the Great Lakes. TBB and TBPH were detected in more than half of the samples collected from 2008 to 2010. Urban areas, such as Chicago and Cleveland, showed the highest concentrations (0.36–290 pg/m3), while remote areas, such as Eagle Harbor and Sleeping Bear Dunes, exhibited the lowest levels (0.050–32 pg/m3). The atmospheric concentrations of TBB and TBPH increased rapidly and significantly over this time period, perhaps indicating that these compounds are replacing the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which have been removed or soon will be removed from the marketplace.

Sweet New Approach Discovered to Help Produce Metal Casting Parts, Reduce Toxicity

Read the full story from Oregon State University.

Based on a new discovery by researchers at Oregon State University, the world’s multi-billion dollar foundry industry may soon develop a sweet tooth.

This industry, that produces metal castings used in everything from water pumps and jet engines to railroad and automobile parts, dates back thousands of years to before Greek and Roman times. It was important in the advance of human civilization, but still continues to evolve.

Some modern technologies use various types of “binders” to essentially glue together sands and other materials to form sophisticated molds, into which molten metals are injected to create products with complex shapes. Existing approaches work, but some materials used today, such as furan resins and phenol formaldehyde resins, can emit toxic fumes during the process.

However, experts in adhesion science in the OSU College of Forestry have discovered and applied for a patent on a new use of a compound that appears to also work surprisingly well for this purpose. They say it should cost less than existing binders, is completely renewable and should be environmentally benign.

It’s called sugar.

An RTI International Technology that Uses a Coconut Waste Product Improves Wastewater Treatment

Read the full story from RTI International.

A technology using a waste product from the coconut processing industry, called cocopeat, improves wastewater treatment in poor countries, according to testing conducted by researchers at RTI International.

RTI International, with funding provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Grand Challenges Explorations initiative, developed and tested low cost secondary wastewater treatment systems using cocopeat. The system takes up less space than other technologies, is easy to assemble and is inexpensive to operate.

Researchers Develop Effective Thermal Energy Storage System

Read the full story from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a thermal energy storage system that will work as a viable alternative to current methods used for storing energy collected from solar panels. Incorporating the researchers’ design into the operation of a concentrated solar power plant will dramatically increase annual energy production while significantly decreasing production costs.

Current storage methods use molten salts, oils or beds of packed rock as media to conduct heat inside thermal energy storage tanks. Although these methods do not lose much of the energy collected by the panels, they are either expensive or cause damage to tanks. Specifically, the use of a packed rock, currently the most efficient and least expensive method, leads to thermal “ratcheting,” which is the stress caused to tank walls because of the expansion and contraction of storage tanks due to thermal cycling.

Threatened Corals Use Chemical 911 to Summon Help

Read the full story from the Georgia Institute of Technology. See also a related blog post from Scientific American.

Corals under attack by toxic seaweed do what anyone might do when threatened – they call for help. A study to be reported this week in the journal Science shows that threatened corals send signals to fish “bodyguards” that quickly respond to trim back the noxious alga – which can kill the coral if not promptly removed.

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found evidence that these “mutualistic” fish respond to chemical signals from the coral like a 911 emergency call – in a matter of minutes. The inch-long fish – known as gobies – spend their entire lives in the crevices of specific corals, receiving protection from their own predators while removing threats to the corals.

Full citation: Danielle L. Dixson and Mark E. Hay (2012). “Corals chemically signal mutualistic fishes to remove competing seaweeds.” Science 338(6108), 804-807. DOI: 10.1126/science.1225748.

Abstract: Corals in the genus Acropora generate much of the structural complexity upon which coral reefs depend, but they are susceptible to damage from toxic seaweeds. Acropora nasuta minimizes this damage by chemically cuing symbiotic goby fishes (Gobiodon histrio or Paragobiodon echinocephalus) to remove the toxic seaweed Chlorodesmis fastigiata. Within minutes of seaweed contact, or contact from only seaweed chemical extract, the coral releases an odor that recruits gobies to trim the seaweed and dramatically reduce coral damage that would otherwise occur. In turn, chemically defended gobies become more toxic after consumption of this noxious alga. Mutualistic gobies and corals appear to represent a marine parallel to terrestrial ant-plants, in that the host provides shelter and food in return for protection from natural enemies.

Future Warming Likely to Be on High Side of Climate Projections, Analysis Finds

Read the full story from National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

Climate model projections showing a greater rise in global temperature are likely to prove more accurate than those showing a lesser rise, according to a new analysis by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The findings, published in this week’s issue of Science, could provide a breakthrough in the longstanding quest to narrow the range of global warming expected in coming decades and beyond.

NCAR scientists John Fasullo and Kevin Trenberth, who co-authored the study, reached their conclusions by analyzing how well sophisticated climate models reproduce observed relative humidity in the tropics and subtropics.

Full citation for the article: John T. Fasullo; Kevin E. Trenberth (2012). “A Less Cloudy Future: The Role of Subtropical Subsidence in Climate Sensitivity.” Science 338(6108), 792-794. DOI: 10.1126/science.1227465.

Abstract: An observable constraint on climate sensitivity, based on variations in mid-tropospheric relative humidity (RH) and their impact on clouds, is proposed. We show that the tropics and subtropics are linked by teleconnections that induce seasonal RH variations that relate strongly to albedo (via clouds), and that this covariability is mimicked in a warming climate. A present-day analog for future trends is thus identified whereby the intensity of subtropical dry zones in models associated with the boreal monsoon is strongly linked to projected cloud trends, reflected solar radiation, and model sensitivity. Many models, particularly those with low climate sensitivity, fail to adequately resolve these teleconnections and hence are identifiably biased. Improving model fidelity in matching observed variations provides a viable path forward for better predicting future climate.