Category: Students

Posts written by students

Lessons from Costa Rica; how to avert the apocalypse

Earlier this summer, a paper published in the journal Nature captured headlines with a rather bleak forecast. Our chances of keeping global warming below the 2C danger threshold are very, very small: only about 5%. The reason, according to the paper’s authors, is that the cuts we’re making to greenhouse gas emissions are being cancelled out by economic growth.

In the coming decades, we’ll be able to reduce the carbon intensity of the global economy by about 1.9% per year, if we make heavy investments in clean energy and efficient technology. That’s a lot. But as long as the economy keeps growing by more than that, total emissions are still going to rise. Right now we’re ratcheting up global GDP by 3% per year, which means we’re headed for trouble.
How banana skins turned on the lights in Lagos … and then turned them off again
Read more

If we want to have any hope of averting catastrophe, we’re going to have to do something about our addiction to growth. This is tricky, because GDP growth is the main policy objective of virtually every government on the planet. It lies at the heart of everything we’ve been told to believe about how the economy should work: that GDP growth is good, that it’s essential to progress, and that if we want to improve human wellbeing and eradicate poverty around the world, we need more of it. It’s a powerful narrative. But is it true?
Costa Rica is the most efficient economy on earth: it produces high standards of living with low GDP and minimal pressure on the environment. After all, once we have excellent healthcare, education, and affordable housing, what will endlessly more income growth gain us? Maybe bigger TVs, flashier cars, and expensive holidays. But not more happiness, or stronger communities, or more time with our families and friends. Not more peace or more stability, fresher air or cleaner rivers. Past a certain point, GDP gains us nothing when it comes to what really matters. In an age of climate change, where the pursuit of ever more GDP is actively dangerous, we need a different approach.

From pollutant to bio-fuel- in kitchen cabinets everywhere

Olive oil has long been a popular kitchen staple. Yet producing the oil creates a vast stream of wastewater that can foul waterways, reduce soil fertility and trigger extensive damage to nearby ecosystems. Now scientists report on the development of an environmentally friendly process that could transform this pollutant into ‘green’ biofuel, bio-fertilizer and safe water for use in agricultural irrigation.
During processing, olives are crushed and mixed with water in mills. The oil is separated out of this mixture, and the dirty water and solid residue are discarded. In Mediterranean countries, where 97 percent of the world’s olive oil is produced, olive mills generate almost 8 billion gallons of this wastewater annually. Disposing of it has become problematic. Dumping it into rivers and streams can potentially contaminate drinking water and harm aquatic life. Pumping it onto farm land damages the soil and reduces crop yields. Some researchers have tried burning the wastewater with mixtures of solid waste from the mills or waste wood. But these approaches have either been too costly or have produced excessive air pollution. Mejdi Jeguirim and colleagues took a different approach. They wanted to see if they could convert olive mill wastewater (OMW) from a pollutant into sustainable products for practical use.

Journal Reference:

Khouloud Haddad, Mejdi Jeguirim, Boutheina Jerbi, Ajmia Chouchene, Patrick Dutournié, Nicolas Thevenin, Lionel Ruidavets, Salah Jellali, Lionel Limousy. Olive Mill Wastewater: From a Pollutant to Green Fuels, Agricultural Water Source and Biofertilizer. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2017; DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b01786

Sustainability

I was super interested in this fantastic new way to package water! I am always so upset at friends who use a lot of plastic water bottles, especially when they don’t recycle. I am a strong proponent of reusable water bottles, but am very excited about this even more advanced way to reduce waste.  I cannot wait to get to try this edible water bottle! They’re made out of seaweed extract (which is cheaper than plastic!!), and it will allow for so much waste reduction if it becomes implemented in our daily lives. Check out the video below to learn more about this great, SUSTAINABLE way to transport and consume water in the modern age!

 

Antarctic iceberg split exposes new realms of biodiversity. -Maryia Shaban

Ecosystems still foreign to us exist all around us. The bottom of the ocean being notably difficult to map and to understand, imagine the complexity of life at the ocean floor underneath an iceberg sheet. This July, a spectacular event has set the stage for great exploration in the field of biological oceanography. An antarctic iceberg has broken off from the Larsen C ice sheath and is moving into the Weddell Sea. Similar icebergs have broken off from Larsen A and B in 1995 and 2002 respectively, yet at those times technology was not yet so advanced and the sea ice conditions were dangerous for planned expeditions. By the time it was safe to travel, scientists arrived to a completely altered ecosystem adapted to the new ocean life without ice. It is crucial that researchers make it to the site as soon as possible. A research mission is currently in the process of being approved for sail to Antarctica in early 2018.  Many nation-states are currently trying to get involved exploring the foreign  biodiversity. The forerunners are South Korea, which plans to divert an expedition for the Shetland Islands already planned, and Great Britain. If scientists are able to make it there they could find themselves in the presence of an incredible ecosystem over 5,800 square kilometers of sea floor, new to our eyes, which has been hidden beneath the Larsen ice sheath for more than 120,000 years.

To read the full article first printed in Nature magazine, visit…

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/giant-iceberg-rsquo-s-split-exposes-hidden-ecosystem/

Converting Waste Toilet Paper into Electricity

Not only can toilet paper be used for the expected bathroom activities, but now thanks to chemists at the University of Amsterdam, it is possible to convert the waste toilet paper into electricity. By using gastrification and then reaction to air in a fuel cell, the used toilet paper is recycled into electricity.

Being a rich source of carbon, companies are often paid to take the waste toilet paper. This is also considered a renewable resource considering the cellulose that makes the paper comes from trees. All around, if this new conversion of waste toilet paper can be expanded upon, it would definitely help lessen the waste we leave on this planet.

 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170915170204.htm

Natural Disasters and Sustainability

Recently, it seems as if horrific natural disasters are affecting the earth at quantities unseen before. Although we think of natural disasters like hurricanes as forces that are unpreventable and inevitable, some are starting to question whether these storms are actually the effect of the action humans. We know about climate change and the destruction of the ozone layer, but many do not associate sustainability with the prevention of natural disasters. The New York Magazine article “The Specter of Climate Change Hangs Over Hurricane Harvey” states that “…global warming has meant more moisture in the air, which intensifies rainfall and flooding, and significant sea-level rise, which leads to bigger and more invasive storm surges.” It is very scary to think that these record-breaking storms are at the scale that they are due to human actions. The earth is clearly sending us the message that our current actions are dangerous and unsustainable.

Being that we won’t be leaving the Earth anytime soon, finding ways to keep our planet in an ideal state is essential. The increase in fossil fuels and toxic pollution is causing the Earth to create disasters that are worse than ever. As humans, we most find resources that give us energy that will allow the Earth to remain healthy for future generations. Hurricanes like Harvey and Maria are causing devastation that will take years to fix. If we want to lessen the impacts of storms like these in the future, the switch to sustainable actions must begin now.

NYC is Looking Toward a Sustainable Future

Thanks to recent efforts by Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City is steadily progressing down the path of sustainability. His recent mandate calls for a drastic reduction in carbon emissions from existing buildings within the five boroughs. Building off of the city’s current sustainability plan (One City Built to Last), the mandate is intended to maximize energy efficiency by upgrading or retrofitting buildings with solar panels and improved heaters, boilers, and windows. The plan has the capacity to cut 7% of the city’s carbon emissions by 2035, and it is precisely this cultivation of urban technology that will help curb climate change in the long run.

Although de Blasio has generated support from a variety of environmentalist groups, he has his share of critics – primarily advocates of the lower-income population. As beneficial as his proposal may prove to be, it fails to guarantee protection for rent regulated tenants against possible rent increases; the Major Capital Investment rule would allow landlords to jack up their rents due to the high initial costs of retrofitting. De Blasio’s mandate just may be the next step toward a sustainable future for the city and the world as a whole, but its shortcomings must be addressed in order to effectively and justly bring about change.

Advancement in Sustainability

 

A newly developed system of solar powered electrolysis cells that can convert carbon dioxide into hydrocarbon and oxygenate products has been created. This newly created system is said to mimic photosynthesis at a more efficient rate than plants. In more recent years we have seen a deterioration Earth’s climate. This has been apparent with a rise in temperature levels, global warming and the thinning O-Zone layer. A system like this is pivotal.

This system could become one of the lead methods of alternative energy. Politicians often make excuses for not investing in methods of sustainability, but this method is powered by the sun- a free factor that will never be in deficit. Not only is this method efficient it is also incredibly cheap. At the rate that we are using harmful energy sources we are going to continue to face serious consequences . Therefore, this plan gives us a solution to continue to live our indulgent lives while being conscience of our effects on the environment. This method is a step forward in science and living a more sustainable life.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170918151713.htm

Montreal Protocol 30th Anniversary

The Montreal Protocol brought along a very important turning point in world history. It’s signing meant CFCs and other harmful chemicals that build up in the atmosphere would no longer be used, allowing the hole in the ozone that had appeared to be closed. The ozone layer is so important to everyone’s health. Without the ozone layer protecting us from the sun’s rays, skin cancer would sky rocket.

The depletion of the ozone shows how consumption processes can negatively impact our inclusive well being if we are not aware of the environmental impact they may have in the future. In order to live sustainably, we must figure out ways to live our comfortable lifestyles with refrigerators and air conditioners without sending out harmful chemicals into the atmosphere.

Laws and Sustainability

Living a sustainable lifestyle is becoming increasingly important. Global warming seems to be an insurmountable problem – with politicians that refuse to pass legislation to promote sustainability or refuse to fund programs that combat global warming. Which is why de Blasio’s recent actions concerning sustainable living are so important – as a politician and a citizen. In the article “De Blasio’s gap on climate policy? It’s under his front door,” William Neuman notes the incongruencies between the way De Blasio talks about sustainable living and

his actions. “Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to be seen as a leader in fighting global warming, and he says that everyone needs to do their part,” however,  de Blasio’s two manhattan homes have appliances (natural gas-fueled boiler and hot water heater) that do not meet the Energy Star standards.In fact, basic measures that make homes more

 energy efficient have not been taken – “the windows on his former residence appeared old and not well sealed. Some window air-conditioning units on both buildings were enclosed by plastic accordion panels that easily let in heat and cold. There was a half-inch gap under the front door of the two-story rental building, with nothing in place to prevent drafts.”  There is no excuse for the lack of these basic steps that promote sustainability. As the mayor of New York City, de Blasio is expected to be a model citizen for sustainable living – not just pass regulation, if he desires to be a spokesperson against global warming.