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Flies that eat organic live longer, make more fly babies

by Sylvesterax6 Posted on March 28, 2013

Flies that eat organic live longer, make more fly babies

By Susie Cagle

Scientists may be split on whether organic foods are better for human health. But a new study published in PLOS ONE presents evidence that organic foods help you live longer and make more babies — if you’re a fruit fly.

T. ChapmanMaybe organic food just puts flies in the mood?

Researchers at Southern Methodist University fed fruit flies extracts of organic or conventional versions of bananas, potatoes, raisins, or soybeans from a Whole Foods in Texas. (Unlike those organic-loving rats, the flies didn’t get to choose their foods.)

“Flies were then subjected to a variety of tests designed to assess overall fly health.” The results? “Flies raised on diets made from organically grown produce had greater fertility and longevity,” according to the study.

Maybe this explains why buzzing fruit flies plague your indoor compost bin (or, for that matter, the Whole Foods sample trays)? Best break out the organic apple cider vinegar!

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Flies that eat organic live longer, make more fly babies

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How to power America with renewables on the cheap: Build a shit ton of wind and solar capacity

by kowalski099 Posted on March 28, 2013

How to power America with renewables on the cheap: Build a shit ton of wind and solar capacity

By John Upton

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Wind and solar will do the trick, but we’ll need a whole lot of them.

America could be powered almost entirely with wind turbines and solar systems by 2030 at a cost comparable to what we’re spending for dirty power today, a new study finds. The necessary approach would surprise most people, and it would generate enough economic activity to make any capitalist drool: Build, build, build … and then build some more.

From Midwest Energy News:

The analysis … challenges the common notion that wind and solar power need to be paired with fossil fuel or nuclear generators, so utilities can meet electricity demand when it’s not windy or sunny.

The paper instead proposes building out a “seemingly excessive” amount of wind and solar generation capacity — two to three times the grid’s actual peak load. By spreading that generation across a wide enough geographic area, Rust Belt utilities could get virtually all of their electricity from renewables in 2030, at a cost comparable to today’s prices, it says.

For the study, published in the Journal of Power Sources, researchers used a model to evaluate the cost effectiveness and reliability of tens of billions of combinations of renewable energy generation and storage capacity. They found:

At 2030 technology costs and with excess electricity displacing natural gas, we find that the electric system can be powered 90%–99.9% of hours entirely on renewable electricity, at costs comparable to today’s—but only if we optimize the mix of generation and storage technologies. …

We find that 90% of hours are covered most cost-effectively by a system that generates from renewables 180% the electrical energy needed by load, and 99.9% of hours are covered by generating almost 290% of need. Only [9 to 72 hours] of storage were required to cover 99.9% of hours of load over four years. So much excess generation of renewables is a new idea, but it is not problematic or inefficient, any more than it is problematic to build a thermal power plant requiring fuel input at 250% of the electrical output, as we do today.

The findings support a growing awareness of the potential for renewable energy to power America — and a rejection of doomsayers and fossil fuel executives who say we must keep propping ourselves up with coal, natural gas, and oil.

So keep those wind and solar farms coming, America. And throw in a few batteries too.

John Upton is a science aficionado and green news junkie who

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How to power America with renewables on the cheap: Build a shit ton of wind and solar capacity

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Do trees fight crime in Philadelphia?

by Pauline80x Posted on March 26, 2013

Do trees fight crime in Philadelphia?

By Susie Cagle

htomren

We already know that having more trees around protects our health. Turns out those trees might also protect our wealth and safety, according to a new study from researchers at Temple University, published in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning.

Controlling for some socioeconomic factors such as poverty, education, and density, the researchers examined crime and tree data and found that “the presence of grass, trees and shrubs is associated with lower crime rates in Philadelphia, particularly for robberies and assaults.”

Here’s where things get a little presumptuous. The authors “surmise this deterrent effect is rooted in the fact that maintained greenery encourages social interaction and community supervision of public spaces, as well the calming effect that vegetated landscapes may impart, thus reducing psychological precursors to violent acts.”

A study published in the same journal last year backs up the connection: A 10 percent increase in trees in Baltimore correlated to about a 12 percent decrease in crime. “It’s really pretty striking how strong this relationship is,” said Austin Troy, lead author of that study.

But is it truly a causal relationship?

I like trees as much as the next blogger, maybe even more, but we need to see more research before jumping to conclusions. In both studies, researchers say they controlled for socioeconomic factors, but how effectively? Do trees necessarily deter crime, or are they just one characteristic of a richer neighborhood that has a lot of things that poorer neighborhoods don’t have — like safer streets?

Whether or not trees are really crime-stoppers, civic planting projects can play a big role in improving those poorer ‘hoods. But a pro tip for the green-minded: The key to success isn’t just planting more trees. You also have to keep them alive.

And a pro trip for the crime-minded: Whatever you do, just don’t be this guy.

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Melting ice is a boon for archaeology

by Gwenda Bischof Posted on March 26, 2013

Melting ice is a boon for archaeology

By John Upton

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As glaciers melt, they are revealing old tunics and bodies and stuff.

As glaciers melt and recede, they are revealing archaeological treasures from the civilizations that came before ours.

A humble tunic found at a site normally covered over with ice in south Norway is among the discoveries that wouldn’t have been possible without the assistance of global warming.

From Reuters:

“It’s worrying that glaciers are melting but it’s exciting for us archaeologists,” Lars Piloe, a Danish archaeologist who works on Norway’s glaciers, said at the first public showing of the tunic, which has been studied since it was found in 2011. …

The 1991 discovery of Otzi, a prehistoric man who roamed the Alps 5,300 years ago between Austria and Italy, is the best known glacier find. In recent years, other finds have been made from Alaska to the Andes, many because glaciers are receding.

The shrinkage is blamed on climate change, stoked by man-made emissions of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.

The archaeologists said the tunic showed that Norway’s Lendbreen glacier, where it was found, had not been so small since 300 AD. When exposed to air, untreated ancient fabrics can disintegrate in weeks because of insect and bacteria attacks.

Well, old tunics are cool. Nobody is saying they’re not. But it’s too bad we can’t dig up some of the wisdom of past societies that treasured nature and valued lives lived in harmony with it. Alongside the smelly old clothes, of course.

John Upton is a science aficionado and green news junkie who

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Melting ice is a boon for archaeology

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Environmentalists and gas companies sing Kumbaya, create voluntary fracking standards

by Arkady549e Posted on March 22, 2013

Environmentalists and gas companies sing Kumbaya, create voluntary fracking standards

By John Upton

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/ Alexander IshchenkoEnergy companies and enviros are totally holding hands and singing around a campfire in Pennsylvania.

Environmentalists struck a rare accord with oil and gas companies this week, agreeing on fracking standards that aim to protect air and water quality and the climate as the Marcellus Shale formation in the northeastern U.S. is mined.

The new and oxymoronically named Center for Sustainable Shale Development was created through an agreement struck by energy companies, the Environmental Defense Fund and other green groups, and Pennsylvania philanthropies. The center will provide certification for oil and gas companies that follow the new standards while fracking the expansive shale formation, which is centered in Pennsylvania and stretches from New York to Kentucky.

Oil and gas companies have no binding requirement to achieve certification from the new center, and environmentalists say it is no substitute for regulations. That said, both camps think its neat.

From the Los Angeles Times:

The center, which was developed over two years of sometimes contentious negotiations, hopes to address the widespread health and environmental concerns about hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, by holding companies to standards that exceed federal and state rules.

For instance, federal law currently permits companies to use diesel fuel as part of the fracking fluid they inject deep underground to break open shale formations and unlock the gas. The standards would require that companies certified by the center would not use diesel and would demand more detailed disclosure of other substances than called for in many states.

The center also would push companies to conform to new federal emissions standards at wellheads faster than established by the Environmental Protection Agency.

“These ideas didn’t come from left field,” said Andrew Place, the center’s interim executive director. “You look at the suite of good ideas out there in industry, federal agencies and the states and you adopt” the best of them.

Certification under the 15 standards [PDF] will be available to fracking companies beginning later this year. Areas addressed by the standards include:

Air and climate protection:
• Limitations on flaring
• Reduced emissions, including from storage tanks and engines

Surface and ground water protection:
• Maximizing water recycling
• Groundwater protection plans
• Well casing design
• Groundwater monitoring
• Wastewater disposal
• Reduced toxicity of fracking fluid

John Upton is a science aficionado and green news junkie who

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Environmentalists and gas companies sing Kumbaya, create voluntary fracking standards

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Farmers markets are growing, but farmers’ incomes are not

by Seraphinakbj Posted on March 19, 2013

Farmers markets are growing, but farmers’ incomes are not

By Susie Cagle

She’s not getting rich.

It’s National Agriculture Day! What an appropriate day to celebrate the awesome work of our nation’s farmers! The awesome work they are so crappily compensated for, that is.

They may seem to be raking in the cash at all those new local farmers markets, but America’s food-growers — those producing fruits and veg, not soy and corn — aren’t having an easy go of it. NPR’s All Things Considered reports:

The market for locally grown food has seen dramatic growth over the last decade. Despite this boost in sales and popularity, evidence suggests that the economics behind the movement still don’t favor the farmer. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has new programs to try to prop up small-scale operations, but many local farms only survive because they scrape by on below-market wages, or by doing without things like insurance.

Iowa State economist David Swenson says farmers trying to earn a living by selling their produce locally often face a losing battle. He calculated that if someone were producing 25 acres of fruits and vegetables — which would meet the produce needs of about 5,000 people — they wouldn’t be anywhere near well-off. “That basically sustained 1.34 jobs and only $35,000 in total labor income and that’s labor income to the producer as well as to any help,” Swenson told NPR.

Small may not always be better. But the answer isn’t to stop shopping at the farmers market — nor, maybe, is it to quit your job and run off to the countryside to grow apples.

Susie Cagle writes and draws news for Grist. She also writes and draws tweets for

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Farmers markets are growing, but farmers’ incomes are not

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BP can bid on new Gulf drilling leases, but will it be allowed to drill?

by donnajansen Posted on March 18, 2013

BP can bid on new Gulf drilling leases, but will it be allowed to drill?

By John Upton

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The sun setting on BP’s time in the doghouse?

A glimmer of good news for BP and its shareholders: After being forced to sit out a single auction of Gulf of Mexico drilling leases as punishment for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the company will be allowed to bid on new leases this week.

That’s not only good news for BP, which already has more Gulf drilling leases than any other company. It’s a victory for Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and other lawmakers who said they were fed up with persecution of BP by the Obama administration.

There is, however, a major catch. The company’s suspension from bidding on new leases has been lifted, but it remains suspended from actually leasing any of the new drilling areas. From Fuel Fix:

[The Interior Department] said in a notice Thursday that if the British oil giant is the highest bidder and remains under suspension at the time of the lease award, which is given following a 90-day post-sale evaluation period, it will be disqualified.

“Concurrently, the previous second highest bidder will assume the position of the highest responsible qualified bidder,” the notice says.

For now, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will accept and process BP bids following standard procedures.

How forward thinking of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

John Upton is a science aficionado and green news junkie who

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blogs about ecology

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Another climate delay from the Obama admin?

by 2KeaheySchoeffler461 Posted on March 15, 2013

Another climate delay from the Obama admin?

By Lisa Hymas

With Congress unwilling to do anything about climate change (or anything about anything), climate hawks have been looking to President Obama to take executive actions that don’t need approval from Capitol Hill. A big one everyone is waiting for: greenhouse gas regulations for new power plants.

Well, don’t hold your breath. Looks like it might still be a while. From The Washington Post:

The Obama administration is leaning toward revising its landmark proposal to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from new power plants, according to several individuals briefed on the matter, a move that would delay tougher restrictions and could anger many environmentalists.

The discussions center on the first-ever greenhouse gas regulations for power plants, which were proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency nearly a year ago. Rewriting the proposal would significantly delay any action, and might allow the agency to set a separate standard for coal-fired power plants, which are roughly twice as polluting as those fueled by natural gas.

While the move could bolster the administration’s legal justification for regulating power plants’ carbon emissions, any delay on the rules would be a blow to environmental groups and their supporters

This doesn’t bode well for the bigger move that climate hawks are really hoping for: regulations for old power plants, namely the filthy coal-fired ones that have been belching out pollution for decades longer than expected.

Environmentalists are particularly worried about finishing the standards for new power plants because they are less controversial than imposing carbon limits on the existing plants that emit 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year, or 40 percent of the nation’s carbon output.

The EPA hasn’t yet said whether it’ll crack down on old plants. Hey guys, keep in mind that Obama only has 1,406 days left in office …

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Solar power set to shine in 2013

by f3x43zg0 Posted on March 12, 2013

Solar power set to shine in 2013

By John Upton

John UptonSolar panels in San Francisco.

This year is shaping up to be a bright one for solar power.

New solar generating capacity expected to be installed around the world in 2013 will be capable of producing almost as much electricity as eight nuclear reactors, according to Bloomberg, which interviewed seven analysts and averaged their forecasts.

That would be a rise of 14 percent over last year for a total of 34.1 gigawatts of new solar capacity, thanks in large part to rising demand in China, the U.S., and Japan. From Bloomberg:

Prices for silicon-based solar panels sank about 20 percent to 79 cents a watt in the past 12 months, after dropping by half in the previous year.

China, the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, is forecast to unseat Germany as the largest solar market in 2013, according to analysts at [Bloomberg New Energy Finance]. Projects have multiplied as the nation provides financial support to its solar companies in a bid to diversify the coal-dependent energy industry.

The Chinese government expects 10 gigawatts of new solar projects in 2013, more than double its previous target and three times last year’s expansion. The country plans to install 35 gigawatts by 2015, compared with a previous goal of 21 gigawatts, government adviser Shi Dinghuan said Jan. 30.

Let’s just hope the sun’s energy can pierce through through that thick sheath of fossil-fuel-induced Chinese smog.

John Upton is a science aficionado and green news junkie who

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blogs about ecology

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Solar power set to shine in 2013

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Bahamas will soon be invaded by oil drills

by trasze2aja Posted on March 12, 2013

Bahamas will soon be invaded by oil drills

By John Upton

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The Bahamas, where unspoiled beauty soon will be spoiled.

Catch ya later, unspoiled beaches of Bahamian paradise. It’s been real.

Offshore oil drilling will soon be allowed in the heavenly West Indies archipelago of the Bahamas, which is made up of thousands of islands and cays off the Floridian coast. Initially, the drilling will be exploratory only — an experiment that will punch a bunch of holes in the ocean floor to see what goop lies beneath.

The Bahamas environment minister said the option of allowing large-scale commercial oil drilling would be put to the nation’s voters after results of the exploratory drills are known, perhaps in 2015.

The government had previously said that even exploratory drilling would require the support of the voters before it could begin. With this move to allow exploratory drills, the government is being accused by The Tribune, a Bahamian newspaper, of breaking promises:

According to a statement released by Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett, the government has determined that “we need to find out first, through exploration drilling, whether we do indeed have oil in commercially viable quantities.”

This is in direct contrast to his position less than four months ago, when Mr Dorsett assured this newspaper that no form of drilling would take place ahead of the referendum, planned for sometime before July this year.

The drilling plan is controversial, for obvious reasons. From the Associated Press:

Offshore drilling is sensitive in the Bahamas, where many fear a spill could devastate the fishing and tourism industries. The previous Bahamian government had delayed issuing exploration permits. Prime Minister Perry Christie, who was voted back into office in May, has said he supported exploration.

Dorsett said the government would seek new regulations to protect the environment and cannot ignore the potential economic benefits of oil for a country that now imports fuel. “The discovery of oil in the Bahamas would almost certainly prove to be economically transformative for our nation for many generations to come,” he said in a statement.

Transformative, you say?

John Upton is a science aficionado and green news junkie who

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Bahamas will soon be invaded by oil drills

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