Nissan plans to introduce the plug-in electric vehicles in 2010 to main states across the country, and then to the world two years after that.  Nissan also said that its five-passenger plug-in hatchback can run about 100 miles on a single charge and it uses a standard 200 volt outlet in order to recharge.  “From light rail to street cars to electric vehicles, we’re reducing the impact of transportation on our climate,” Mayor Greg Nickels said.  I think it is great that another company is trying to make cares healthier for the climate.

A Nissan spokesperson said that the care takes about four hours to charge, but the company is trying to lower that time down to just 26 minutes.  I think that the car would be a lot more popular if the company could get the charging time down that low.  “This partnership expands our infrastructure development efforts on the West Coast,” said Dominique Thormann, a Nissan senior vice president, “and is an important step in making zero emissions a reality from Seattle to San Diego.”

Recently, the Washington Legislature passed a measure that gives tax breaks on sales of electric car batteries and electric charging infrastructures.  I think that this is a good step to be taken towards making hybrids more accessible and popular.  “We were attempting to establish an expectation that cities and counties would permit the infrastructure necessary to support electric cars,” said Rep. Deborah Eddy, D-Kirkland, the bill’s sponsor. “It sends a signal to electric car manufacturers that we want those cars here.”

This bill also require that the state install charging stations to parking lots and facilities by 2015.  Nissan also plans to team up with businesses to promote electric charging networks throughout Seattle.

Above is a picture of a test car of a Nissan electric car

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30460933/

photo from AP images

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that using the long fishing lines with hooks and squid bate will be banned from May 18th until October 18th.  This time period is when the sea turtles feed in the warm Florida coastal waters so the mandate is clearly put in place to protect the sea turtles.

The ban was put in place after studies were released that showed that up to 1,000 sea turtles were being snagged up in nets every 18 months.  80% of the sea turtles caught were loggerheads, which are a threatened species.

Above is a picture of a loggerhead sea turtle

Roy Crabtree, from the NOAA, said that the ban was just a temporary solution.  The agency is working with both fishermen and conservationists in order to come up with a more permanent solution.  “I hope we can identify options that not only provide sea turtles the protection they need, but minimize the economic affects to the fishing industry,” Crabtree said.

Not everyone is happen with the temporary ban, though.  Glen Brooks, who is the president of the Gulf Fishermen’s Association, says that the ban threatens his industry and hundreds of workers.  “This may not be something anyone can recover from,” Brooks said.

Regulators are thinking of eliminating long-line boats and banning the gear during June, July, and August because these are feeding months for sea turtles.  This would help the turtles, but hurt the workers who depend on this gear.  Although the workers depend on this, I think that they can come up with other ways to catch fish aside from using equipment that harms the sea turtles.  “This is going to be a major benefit to sea turtles, especially the loggerheads that are threatened with extinction,” said David L. Allison, a senior campaign director at Oceana. “This is a prime feeding area for sea turtles that nest all the way up to the Carolinas.”

I think this article is interesting becuase it values animals over people.  While sea turtles can survive with this ban, there are many eople who will be left without jobs to support themselves and their families in the summer months.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30484815/

photo from AP images

In the past, scientists thought that human use and emission of Mercury were the sources of mercury in the oceans and in seafood, the source is not actually known.  The study published today, May 1, 2009, show how the process by which increased mercury emissions from humans make their way into the North Pacific Ocean.  As a result of this, the mercury contaminates the tuna and other seafood.  Much of the mercury that enters the North Pacific Ocean comes from the atmosphere and the amount of mercury in the Pacific Ocean is predicted to increase by 50% is emission rates continue to rise.

“This unprecedented USGS study is critically important to the health and safety of the American people and our wildlife because it helps us understand the relationship between atmospheric emissions of mercury and concentrations of mercury in marine fish,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar.  The more mercury emitted into the atmosphere, the higher the concentration of mercury in fish.

“This study gives us a better understanding of how dangerous levels of mercury move into our air, our water, and the food we eat, and shines new light on a major health threat to Americans and people all across the world,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “With this information in hand, plus our own mercury efforts, we have an even greater opportunity to continue working with our international partners to significantly cut mercury pollution in the years ahead and protect the health of millions of people.”  It was previously thought that mercury could only have serious effects on fish, but now that the concentration of mercury in fish is so high, the mercury also poses a health threat to humans.

Something unexpected the study found was that the long-range transport of mercury through the ocean is very significant.  The mercury concentrations accumulate.

Located above is a picture of fish who have high levels of mercury in their blood.  Obviously, these fish are not edible.  This fish market is located in New York City which just shows how close this problem is to us.
http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/39828

photo from AP images

The Obama administration is leaning towards asking 195 nations to ratify the ozone treaty.  “Regulation of these gases could begin as soon as next year — significantly faster than any regulation of these potent greenhouse gases” via ongoing U.N. talks, wrote Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.

Adora Andy from the EPA said that while a final decision has not been made, the administration hopes to regulate the gases.  The change, which involves a global cut in greenhouse gases, would transform the ozone treaty into a strong tool to help fight global warming.

“Now it’s going to be a climate treaty, with no ozone-depleting materials, if this goes forward,” an EPA technical expert said. This expert said that ozone treaty, the Montreal Protocol, created the entire market for HFCs.  Including these HFCs in the treaty would take care of the problem.  I think this statement is interesting because we studied the Montreal Protocol in class and the effects it had on reducing air pollution, specifically CFCs.

Experts on unsure about how the Montreal Protocol will work together with the Kyoto Protocol.  The Kyoto Protocol is the world’s climate treaty, which regulates HFCs.  This program was rejected by the Bush administration.  Since the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012, negotiations are taking place in December to determined what is to be done next.

The Montreal Protocol was so successful because it almost completely eliminated the use of CFCs which are blamed for the hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica.

HFCs do not have the same effects as CFCs in that they do not affect the ozone layer, which is why they replaced CFCs as coolants in many everyday objects.  Although HFCs help the ozone layer problem, experts say they are contributing to another problem.  The United States and the UN now want to phase out HFCs as well and relate this amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

Located above is an example of a product used to eliminate the presence of CFCs.  It was banned, however, because it contained a high number of HFCs.  This shows how the solution to one problem can cause another problem.

Unlike most pollutants, HFCs can have an impact within a lifetime.  HFCs do most of their damage during the first 30 years they are in the atmosphere.  This differs from CO2 whose impact takes place over a longer period of time.  The fact that HFCs do their damage so quickly shows just how dire the situation is and how quickly actions needs to be taken.

“Retiring HFCs is our best hope of avoiding a near-term tipping point for irreversible climate change. It’s an opportunity the world simply cannot afford to miss, and every year we delay action on HFCs reduces the benefit,” said Alexander von Bismarck, executive director of the Environmental Investigation Agency, a nonprofit watchdog group in Washington.

This article is important because it shows how important it is to save our atmosphere.  Some changes are happening very rapidly and need to be taken care of immediately.  The HFCs problem is an example of this and no one is quite sure how to handle it, but they know something must be done.  I look forward to hearing how this issue is taken care of.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30506271/page/2/

photo from AP images

Alkaloids are commonly found in nature and are produced by plants to help bolster the structure of leaves and pine needles.  They can be key nutrients to the right organisms.  Some are prized while others, like morphine and caffeine, prove to be addictive.  In high doses the alkaloids can be powerful toxins.

Alexander Liskin and a team of researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have discovered that close to 100 different alkaloids in smoke particles from laboratory-simulated forest fires.  “When roots, leaves, and needles get burned,  these chemicals can be released without modification into the atmosphere,” Liskin said. “They can be translated as aerosol particles hundreds or thousands of miles. It is possible that there is an impact on humans, animals, and that they get into the groundwater.”

The team of scientists burned five different types of pine needles and trees that are common throughout western North America.  10-30% of the smoke, which might contain many gases and particles aside from alkaloids, was made up of nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NOCs), a large group of chemicals which alkaloids belong.  Most of the NOCs were alkaloids.  This means that forest fires have the potential to release large quantities of toxins.

More studies need to be done to determine how the particles interact with water vapor, sunlight, and aerosols.”This is a first study,” Julia Laskin, a co-author on the study.  “We can’t really jump in and start working on regulations until more is done.”

“We know that smaller particles seem to be more toxic, but that’s about it,” Cort Anastasios of the University of California, Davis said. “We don’t know what components or types of particles cause the most problems.”

Anastasios added: “It’s very useful in pointing out several new classes of NOCs. They are potentially important for human health, and if they occur in large enough quantities in the atmosphere, could have significant climate effects.”

Above is a picture of a forest fire in the United States.  The smoke,  a pollutant, can clearly be seen rising from the ground.

I think this article is important because it shows how much more research still needs to be done regarding forest fires and its effects on the environment.  Obviously, there are negative effects, but scientists still do not know all the results and pollutants that arise from them.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30503774/

photo from AP images

Employees and other people joined into to begin pedaling at 5:00 in the morning.  Nine stationary bikes  were used and hooked up to batteries which were used to store the energy.  “We’ve actively been working on improving sustainability across the entire company,” said CEO-elect Joth Ricci. “This was a good way to kick off an initiative to conserve electricity and reduce packaging waste.”

One cyclist who pedals at a comfortable pace can generate about 200 kwh, which is enough to run a medium-sized TV or dishwasher.  In order to supplement the human-powered energy, the company also reduced the amount of electricity it consumes.  It turned off lights everywhere except in the bathrooms, which were kept lit by the bicycles.  Employees were also encourage to take advantage of the natural light in the building coming from skylights and windows.

“It’s a great way to get people aware of Earth Day,” said the medical resident at Deaconess Medical Center in Spokane. “A good, healthy way to do it.”

Not only did the company get excited about this event, but outsiders did as well.  One man showed up to cycle and left wondering if he could set up something similar for his home.  Dan Gross, who helped set up the grid, set it’s relatively easy to put together.  All a person needs is a bicycle, a used car alternator, a batter, an extension cord, and an inverter.

“As far as green energy is concerned, it’s pretty good,” said Gross, a student physicist at University of Washington Applied Physics Lab. “It’s basically a wind-turbine, but instead of wind we use humans.”

I think this article is very interesting because it shows an alternative way to create electricity, which is also cheaper.  Hopefully, this company can uses the cyclists everyday, not just on Earth Day.

Located above is a picture of people cycling on Earth Day.  The fact that people enjoy doing this shows how it can be done to power electricity very frequently, providing jobs and lowering the cost of emitting electricity.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30369223/

AP images

American Rivers chose the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin River as endangered because if they were to collapse, it would endanger the water supply of 25 million Californians, flood the state’s capital, and damage the delicate freshwater delta where the two rivers meet.

“The health of the delta depends directly on maintaining the health of these two rivers that feed it,” said Steve Rothert, California director of the Washington-based nonprofit.

Jerry Johns, deputy director at California’s Department of Water Resources said that the report given by American Rivers did not give enough consideration to the statewide efforts to restore the health of the delta and its two chief tributaries.  Other rivers from across the country made the list, including ones from Pennsylvania to Alaska.  Also in the top fiver were Georgia’s Flint River, the Lower Snake River that passes through Idaho, Washington and Oregon, Mattawoman creek in Maryland, and the North Fork of the Flathead River in Montana.

The state now looks to restore a now dry 60 mile stretch of the San Joaquin River.  The lawsuit against the river stemmed form the opening of the Friant Dam in 1949 which transformed the San Joaquin Valley’s main artery from a river full of salmon into an irrigation source for more than a million acres of farm fields.  Under the 2006 settlement, irrigation districts that distribute river water to thousands of farmers agreed to relinquish a certain portion of their traditional water supplies to help restore the fish.

These rivers are all drying up and their collapse could be detrimental to the people living near the rivers.  The fact that two rivers from California make the list shows just how much trouble the state is in.  Great efforts need to be taken to ensure that the rivers remain stable and that they remain able to supply millions of people with water.

above is a picture of the Sacramento River

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30088454/page/2/

photo from AP images

“We’re not set up well for summertime,” ice data center scientist Walt Meier said at a news briefing. “We’re in a very precarious situation.”

The young sea ice in the Arctic usually melts in the spring and summer seasons.  If the young ice survives for two years, then it becomes the type of thick sea ice that is very important to the survival of the Arctic.  The past two years were warm, however, and there is more young, thin ice at the top of the world.

In normal winters, thick sea ice, which is more than 10 feet thick, extends from the northern boundaries of Greenland and Canada almost to Russia.  This past year, the thick ice cap barely touches the bull’s-eye of the Arctic Circle.

The amount of thick sea ice hit a record low last winter of 378,000 square miles, which is down 43% from last year.  This amount is larger than the size of Texas.

“Heading into the 2009 summer melt season, the potential continues for extensive ice retreat due to the trend toward younger, thinner ice that has accelerated in recent years,” said University of Colorado professor James Maslanik. “A key question will be whether this second year ice is thick enough to survive summer melt.”

“If it does, this might start a trend toward recovery of the perennial sea ice pack,” Maslanik said. “If it doesn’t, then this would be further evidence of the difficulty of re-establishing the ice conditions that were typical of 20 or 30 years ago.”

Sea ice is so important to the survival Earth because its whiteness reflects sunlight away from the earth.  The more the ice melts, the more heat is absorbed by the dark ocean, which heats up the planet even more.  This warming can change weather patterns around the globe and it alters many ecosystems.

“That thick ice really traps ocean heat; it keeps the planet in its current state of balance,” added Waleed Abdalati, director of the Center for the Study of Earth from Space at the University of Colorado and NASA’s former chief ice scientist. “When we start to diminish that, the state of balance is likely to change, tip one way or another.”

Usually, young ice makes up around 70% of the ice cover in the Arctic.  This year, the young ice accounts for 90% of ice cover in the Arctic.

This article basically just give more statistics backing up the fact that global warming is happening.  If people do not make a concerted effort to change the way they live, then the ice will continue to melt, and the world will continue to change, for the worst.

above is a picture of thinning arctic ice

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30074699/

photo from AP images

These Irrawaddy dolphins are related to orcas or killer whales and were found living in the freshwater regions of the Sundarbans mangrove forest located in Bangladesh.  The dolphins were also found in the adjacent waters of the Bay of Bengal.  Before this population of dolphins was found, the largest known populations of Irrawaddy dolphins numbered in the low hundreds or less.

“This discovery gives us great hope that there is a future for Irrawaddy dolphins,” said Brian D. Smith, the study’s lead author. “Bangladesh clearly serves as an important sanctuary for Irrawaddy dolphins, and conservation in this region should be a top priority.”

The Irrawaddy dolphins grow to be at most 8 feet long and usually lives in large rivers, estuaries, and freshwater lagoons located in south and southeast Asia.

Scientists have not been able to determine yet how man of these dolphins remain in the world.  Just last year, they were listed as “vulnerable” on the International Union of Conservation of Nature’s Red List.  This list is based on population declines in known populations.  Ainun Nishat, the Bangladesh head of International Union for Conservation of Nature said that the finding of these dolphins shows how the “ecology in the area is not dead yet.”

There is still plenty of food (mainly fish) for the dolphins to eat so that they may still survive.  Now, the dolphins need the area in which they live to be restricted of fishing.  This ultimately will protect the dolphins.  Just during the study, two dolphins became entangled in fishing nets and ended up drowning.  There could be many more of these occurrences throughout the world, harming the dolphins, and fisherman say this happens often.

Not only do the nets harm dolphins, but the rising sea levels caused by climate change threaten the freshwater dolphins.  The Wildlife Conservation Society has asked Bangladeshi authorities to establish a sanctuary for the dolphins.

“The sanctuary may take time,” said Mohammad Jalilur Rahman, an official at the state-run Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute. “But we are already motivating the fishermen not to harm the dolphins which get entangled in their nets.”

above is a picture of an Irrawaddy dolphin

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29992287/

photo from AP images

62 schools located in 22 states will be tested for toxic air contaminants.  The EPA will then work with state and local officials to begin monitoring the selected schools within three months.  This will be the first time school yard air quality will be the focus of an EPA investigation.

These 62 schools were chosen because of how close they are to industrial facilities and other sources of pollution.  Also, the list of schools is comprised of elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools.

The contaminants that will be tested varies depending on the school.  The focus of the tests is toxic chemicals that are known to cause cancer, respiratory problems and neurological problems.  These problems exist especially in children, who are more susceptible than adults because they are still growing and maturing.  The monitors will measure the air for gases along with solid particles, for example heavy metals and soot.

The EPA will spend $2.25 million in order to purchase monitors and to pay for laboratory analysis.  Once the new equipment is in place, it will collect air samples on ten days over a month.  The EPA will then stop monitoring at the location if the test results show good air quality.  If high levels of contaminants are detected, the EPA will take steps to reduce the pollution.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29974691/