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Black eyed Susans are a native plant in my region Click for photo credit. |
On the Brink
Featuring informal writing on the environment, sustainability, and higher education.
Sunday, April 11, 2021
5 Ways to Green Your Spring
Serious Environmental and Health Issues Discovered in Tampa Lead Smelting Facility
The Tampa Bay Times published an exposé on serious contamination at Florida's only lead smelting facility. It is worth a read. The conditions are frankly shocking and reminiscent of working conditions from a century ago. It is hard to imagine the described working conditions existing in the 21st century in the United States. As the article notes, many of the workers are minorities, immigrants, or have criminal records. Thus, this situation exemplifies environmental justice inequities.Tampa. Click for image credit.
Curiously, the site was not inspected by OSHA in five years. Over that time period, workers were exposed to hazardous levels of lead and toxic materials were not managed appropriately. Venting systems didn't work correctly and contaminated sludge built up in some areas of the facility. The images associated with the article are rather striking.
Lead was identified in this country as a serious problem decades ago and was widely banned in most products from paint to gasoline. However, we still use quite a bit of lead in batteries. This smelter did a great deal of battery recycling which is one of the sources of the contamination of the plant.
Friday, April 9, 2021
Leaking Phosphate Mine Pond Pollutes Tampa Bay
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Phosphate companies mine phosphate ore through strip mining. However, they have to remove a great deal of sandy overburden prior to getting to the phosphate-rich layers underground. The strip mining creates big gashes in the earth that require considerable restoration. The phosphate ore is transported to processing plants (often using water transport in pipes) where acids and other chemicals treat the ore to pull the phosphate from the slurry. Some of the leftover liquids, some of which are highly acidic and often full of nutrients and some radon (an accessory material associated with the ore) are stored in ponds.
Over the years there have been several notable leaks of these ponds. One occurred during a hurricane when heavy rains caused a pond to leak into a local river. The leak caused a massive fish kill and led to significant pollution of Tampa Bay. Another leak was caused by the collapse of a sinkhole. The entire pond leaked into underground aquifers.
This latest leak into Tampa Bay highlights the dangers of toxic ponds associated with mining to the environment and to the public at large. They often linger for years after mining companies leave an area and cause great challenges for long term management leaving them a burden to tax payers for decades.
Sunday, April 4, 2021
Infrastructure Plan Has Some Key Sustainability Highlights
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Two of the key points are:
1. Electric car infrastructure. The plan calls for building thousands of electric car charging stations across the country and provides support for the increase in electric car production and infrastructure.
2. Expansion of mass transit infrastructure. This involves support for regional bus systems, expansion of rail, and support for existing mass transit systems.
The plan also calls for some other interesting projects associated with sustainability including removal of lead containing pipes, support for schools and affordable housing, and $35 billion for the National Science Foundation to support breakthrough research that will address the climate crisis.
Of course, the devil is in the details. I always like to say that the greenest building is the one you don't build and there are some contradictory themes in the plan. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that it will be a game changer for electric car infrastructure in the U.S. should it pass congress.
Thursday, April 1, 2021
Sustainability Case Studies 17: Designing Personal Sustainability into Organizational Culture: The Case of Burning Man
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This chapter, Designging ZPersonal Sustainability into Organizational Culture: The Case of Burning Man, by Morgan C. Benton and Nicole M. Radziwill, focuses on the big international art and music festival known as Burning Man. The famous event draws around 70,000 people every August (except for the whole pandemic thing) to northwestern Nevada. As one can imagine, the event has a relatively large environmental footprint--one that the organizers have worked hard to reduce. The chapter focuses on how the organization of Burning Man is developing clear sustainability goals within its organization.
The chapter begins with a review of sustainability management and sustainability planning for events. It also highlights the need to focus on personal sustainability within any planning context. The chapter then goes into the case study which reviews the organizational elements of Burning Man. What is interesting is the overall organizational structure of the event. The "camp" is the main unit of spatial organization and many camps have specializations such as hair washing or food supply. Some of the camps manage things like trash pick up and water management. Thus, at least for a short period of time every year, Burning Man is the largest intentional eco community on the planet.
Another important aspect of Burning Man is the transformational experiences individuals can have. This transformation includes aspects of sustainability and learning about the environment. Burning Man organizers and participants have also embraced something called the 10 Principles which including things like radical self-reliance, decommodificatios, civic responsibility, and leave no trace. Based on surveys, many of the attendees of Burning Man bring the 10 Principles, including those that involve sustainability, into their lives. The chapter concludes with a variety of lessons learned and challenges and barriers. Some of the lessons learned include a number of recommendations as to how to make Burning Many more sustainable, including finding alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles and reducing waste.
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Layout of Burning Man. Click for image credit. |
Here are some discussion questions when using this chapter for a unit on organizational sustainability, events and sustainability, or personal sustainability:
Chapter 1: Sustainability Definitions, Historical Context, and Frameworks
Chapter 2. Sustainability and Natural Landscape Stewardship: A US Conservation Case Study
Chapter 3. Policy Design for Sustainability at Multiple Scales: The Case of Transboundary Haze Pollution in Southeast Asia
Chapter 4. Sustainable Water Resources Management: Groundwater Depletion
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Gold Butte National Monument
Today I continue my series on all 129 U.S. National Monuments. This is in follow up to my series that featured open access photos of all of the U.S. National Parks. In the coming years, I will highlight open access images all of the U.S. National Monuments in alphabetical order.
Today's featured monument is Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada. This is one of the monuments that was under review for delisting as per executive order by the former president. Following the photos is a list of U.S. National Monuments previously featured on this blog.
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Previous On the Brink posts on the U.S. National Monuments
Admiralty Island National Monument
African Burial Ground National Monument
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
Agua Fria National Monument
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument
Aniakchak National Monument
Aztec Ruins National Monument
Bandelier National Monument
Basin and Range National Monument
Bears Ears National Monument
Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument
Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument
Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument
Booker T. Washington National Monument
Browns Canyon National Monument
Buck Island Reef National Monument
Cabrillo National Monument
California Coastal National Monument
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Carrizo Plain National Monument
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Cascade Siskiyou National Monument
Castillo de San Marco National Monument
Castle Clinton National Monument
Castle Mountains National Monument
Cedar Breaks National Monument
César E. Chávez National Monument
Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument
Chimney Rock National Monument
Chiricahua National Monument
Colorado National Monument
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Devils Postpile National Monument
Devils Tower National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument
Effigy Mounds National Monument
El Malpais National Monument
El Morro National Monument
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Fort Frederica National Monument
Fort Matanzas National Monument
Fort McHenry National Monument
Fort Monroe National Monument
Fort Ord National Monument
Fort Pulaski National Monument
Fort Stanwix National Monument
Monday, March 15, 2021
Deb Haaland, First Native American Secretary of Interior, Confirmed
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Friday, March 12, 2021
Carbon Capture Projects Gain Momentum in North Sea
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There are three interesting elements to this project.
First, it is being developed by BP. If you have been following the news about BP, it is the first major oil company to try to diversify their portfolio from oil to a range of energy products--particularly renewable energy. This move into carbon capture further showcases their initiatives to be a carbon neutral company by 2050.
Second, the project is working in a region of England that has intensive industrial energy use. While these companies could work toward fewer emissions, it is frankly easier for them to buy into the carbon capture scheme than convert. While everyone agrees that it is best not to create emissions, this type of project provides opportunities for regions that either cannot afford new technology or that have industries that are difficult to transform into zero emissions operations.
Third, it is one of the largest carbon capture plans ever developed. If it is successful, it could help to accelerate carbon capture as a tool for managing global climate change. Understanding the geology of a region really matters and the ability to find the appropriate reservoirs could open up a new form of geologic exploration.
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Petroleum Companies Avoid Efforts to Drill the Arctic Wildlife Refuge
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There are two main reasons that companies are not bidding. First, it doesn't make sense economically. It is expensive to drill in the arctic because of the remote conditions and the difficult terrain and weather. The expense is not warranted at this moment when there is an abundance of oil on the market and prices are relatively flat. Renewable sources of energy are gaining momentum and it is looking more and more like oil is going the way of the dinosaurs. Second, drilling the in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge is a reputation killer for any company that seeks to do business in this area. It is the last untouched wilderness in the United States and any type of damage to the area will be noted by consumers and will certainly draw attention internationally. The oil industry is already under heavy pressure due to a variety of climate change related lawsuits and a move to drill the Arctic does not make repetitional sense given that any type of action in the region will impact the fragile ecosystems.
Alaska, by bidding the on the rights to drill, is hoping that interest will improve in the coming years and that they will have a return on their investment by reselling the leases. In the mean time, it seems as if the refuge will remain a refuge given that oil companies are avoiding the sale like the plague.
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
Tampa Resets on Sustainability at the Right Time
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Monday, December 28, 2020
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
Today I continue my series on all 129 U.S. National Monuments. This is in follow up to my series that featured open access photos of all of the U.S. National Parks. In the coming years, I will highlight open access images all of the U.S. National Monuments in alphabetical order.
Today's featured monument is Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument in New Mexico. This is not one of the monuments that was under review for delisting as per executive order by the president. Following the photos is a list of U.S. National Monuments previously featured on this blog.
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Previous On the Brink posts on the U.S. National Monuments
Admiralty Island National Monument
African Burial Ground National Monument
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument
Agua Fria National Monument
Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument
Aniakchak National Monument
Aztec Ruins National Monument
Bandelier National Monument
Basin and Range National Monument
Bears Ears National Monument
Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument
Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument
Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument
Booker T. Washington National Monument
Browns Canyon National Monument
Buck Island Reef National Monument
Cabrillo National Monument
California Coastal National Monument
Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Cape Krusenstern National Monument
Capulin Volcano National Monument
Carrizo Plain National Monument
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Cascade Siskiyou National Monument
Castillo de San Marco National Monument
Castle Clinton National Monument
Castle Mountains National Monument
Cedar Breaks National Monument
César E. Chávez National Monument
Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument
Chimney Rock National Monument
Chiricahua National Monument
Colorado National Monument
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Devils Postpile National Monument
Devils Tower National Monument
Dinosaur National Monument
Effigy Mounds National Monument
El Malpais National Monument
El Morro National Monument
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Fort Frederica National Monument
Fort Matanzas National Monument
Fort McHenry National Monument
Fort Monroe National Monument
Fort Ord National Monument
Fort Pulaski National Monument
Fort Stanwix National Monument
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Top 5 Environmental News Stories of 2020
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1. Evidence for major environmental change. From the fires on California to the unprecedented number of Atlantic tropical storms, the evidence for major environmental change is accelerating. All over the world, there are serious issues with major environmental systems--our oceans contain widespread dead zones and our coral reefs are dying; our tropical rainforests are being destroyed and air pollution is causing serious health issues. Things are getting worse fast.
2. Environmental impacts of the pandemic. The pandemic caused a massive increase in the use of disposable masks and gloves. While I want everyone to wear a mask and use gloves when appropriate, I am dismayed at the amount of litter that is now present around the world because of them. In addition, some grocery stores stopped allowing reusable bags for fear of bringing the virus into stores. The only good news was the drop in carbon dioxide emissions due to the lack of commuting.
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4. Investment goes green. This one is easy to overlook because it happened in January of 2020 before the pandemic hit. BlackRock, the world's largest investment firm, stated that they would no longer invest in organizations that had negative impacts on the environment--noting the importance of acting quickly on climate change. This statement rocked the business world and made clear that large energy companies were soon to go the way of the dinosaurs unless they diversified and quickly assisted with a transition to a green economy.
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Sunday, December 20, 2020
Sustainability Case Studies Chapter 16: Urban Vulnerability of Waste Workers in Nigerian Cities: The Case of Aba, Nigeria
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Waste workers in Nigeria. Click for image credit. |
This chapter, Urban Vulnerability of Waste Workers in Nigerian Cities: The Case of Aba, Nigeria, by Thaddeus Chidi Nzeabide and Friday Uchenna Ochege, is a fascinating look at informal waste workers in Africa. The authors take on an important topic--the informal waste trade--within the context of workers and their vulnerability. Waste management in Nigeria is underfunded in many areas and there is a robust economy associated with informal waste management. However, those who engage in the informal waste economy are among the most vulnerable members of Nigerian society. Assessing the vulnerability of these workers is the main focal point of the chapter.
The chapter begins with a review of the meaning of vulnerability, particularly in the context of the Nigerian informal waste trade. Those involved often have "...threats to well-being, snuggles and social-political contestations for rights garbage, tensions and competitions for survival, cultivation and maintenance of social networks, agency, and collective organizing..." There are a variety of threats to those involved with informal waste. For example, the waste itself is often dangerous. Plus there is a hefty competition among those involved with waste for access to garbage. Plus, governments often have a range of rules around the informal garbage trade and it is easy to run into regulatory problems.The authors then review the setting for the case study in Aba, Nigeria. Aba is a city of over a million people that was a small town of 13,000 in 1931. Thus Aba is similar to some of the sunbelt cities in the U.S., in that it boomed in the 20th century. The growth in Aba was largely unplanned. As a result, there are often incompatible land uses adjacent to each other and there are a range of environmental and social problems present in the city--including a variety of issues associated with waste management.
The authors next provide a brief literature review around urban vulnerability in the informal waste trade. Many parts of the world, including Europe and the U.S., once had informal economies associated with waste. However, waste has become a highly organized part of what local governments do when they provide services to communities in most of the world. However, Africa remains one of the places where waste is still handled informally. In addition, workers in the waste business are not part of any organized planning or initiatives and are not part of any local or regional poverty reduction strategy. In addition, the informal waste economy is not taken into account in any measurable way when assessing local or regional economies. Thus, there is scant literature on who is involved, the economic impact, or the vulnerability of workers.
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Previous posts in this series:
Chapter 1: Sustainability Definitions, Historical Context, and Frameworks
Chapter 2. Sustainability and Natural Landscape Stewardship: A US Conservation Case Study
Chapter 3. Policy Design for Sustainability at Multiple Scales: The Case of Transboundary Haze Pollution in Southeast Asia
Chapter 4. Sustainable Water Resources Management: Groundwater Depletion
Saturday, December 19, 2020
2021 Sustainability Predictions
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1. US gets serious on climate. With the election of Joe Biden, the US will rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and confront four years of backsliding on a range of climate policies.
2. The world confronts consumerism during the pandemic. Over the pandemic, there were big economic losers (local restaurants and small businesses in particular) and big economic winners. Some of the biggest winners were large on-line companies like Amazon. We have shifted huge amounts of money to large companies from mid-sized and small companies. In the coming year, as we come out of pandemic conditions, we will confront what happened to small businesses and try to right the ship. This examination will look at economic equity and environmental consequences of the pandemic economy. It will also drive us to more systematically confront consumerism and the impacts of our spending on the environment and global culture.
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4. Green transportation infrastructure blossoms around the world. One of the things that has held back the growth of electric cars is the lack of green infrastructure--particularly access to charging stations. Expect to see significant improvements in the coming year. In addition, there will be greater attention to bike infrastructure, pedestrian access, and rethinking roadways in a time when more people are working from home and reducing car use.
5. Concerns over office infrastructure as people return to the workplace. The coming year will bring people back to the office and workers will have concerns over basic infrastructure like water supply, coffee makers, and air handlers that have been relatively stagnant for the last year.
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7. More energy companies embrace renewables. With the cost of renewable energy declining significantly, more energy companies are diversifying their portfolios and moving away from oil. Expect this trend to continue.
8. Suburbs and peri urban areas become centers of sustainability research. For years I have been saying that urban sustainability is easy and that the hard work is in the suburbs. I predict that the coming year will bring much greater focus to the suburbs and peri urban areas.
9. Organizations look to work from home strategies as a component of greenhouse gas reductions. As we all shifted our worksites from our offices to our homes, organizations discovered that large components of their operations could continue this way into the future thereby reducing the need for physical space. This shift cuts energy costs from transportation and building use and more organizations will look at work from home as a key strategy in greenhouse gas reduction.
10. Ecosystem shifts become more apparent due to climate change. While we have already seen some clear ecosystem shifts in places like the Arctic where the climate has changed most rapidly, expect to see more local evidence of ecosystem shifts throughout our world as climate change continues to impact us.
If you have any predictions you think I missed, leave them in the comments.
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
How the US Gets to Net Zero Carbon
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The most interesting item in the article is that this transformation can lead to greater land use conflicts. For example, we need to use large swaths of land for windmills and solar arrays if we are going to get to net zero. This most certainly will create local public debates--particularly in peri-urban environments close to cities. However, there are great economic opportunities for small towns and rural areas to take advantage of the drive to green energy. In the same way small communities have have welcomed privatized prisons in order to provide local economic development, the same communities can welcome the development of green energy infrastructure.
There is no doubt that with the change of leadership in Washington that climate change will be at the top of the agenda in most cabinet offices. There are great opportunities for expanding the nation's green infrastructure in partnership with suburbs, small towns, and rural regions. Communities that are already working on sustainability initiatives will have the expertise in place to be leaders in America's zero carbon transformation.
Sunday, December 13, 2020
70% of Diary Industry Committed to Carbon Neutrality
Agrinews reported last week that the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and Dairy Management developed new sustainability goals as part of its U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment. The new goals state that the dairy industry will achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and that they will also be better stewards of water resources and cut nutrient pollution from manure. What is important about this initiative is that the Innovation Center has the commitment of 70% of the dairy industry on these goals. This commitment represents the about 29% of US dairy companies.Click for photo credit.
The commitment is worth a read. It is a comprehensive approach to sustainability that includes environmental factors like energy, climate change, and water; equity and economic factors like decent work and access to food; and community factors like stakeholder engagement and partnerships. The commitment is a great example of how different areas of the economy are leading the way on sustainability absence the leadership of federal or state guidance.
Saturday, December 12, 2020
Was I a Sustainability Psychic in 2020? I review my predictions.
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4. Big wins on plastic. I predicted that there would be big wins on more plastic bans in a variety of products. I give this one a C. While there have been major wins in banning plastic from a variety of products all over the world (including a recent ban of plastic straws in Montgomery County, Maryland), the reality is that plastic use went way up during the pandemic as people took more food out from restaurants.
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8. Concerns over population. I give this one a B. Some countries, like Egypt, have embraced plans to try to deal with overpopulation. However, the conversation among many falls along the line of, "how can we find ways to feed a growing population", instead of "how can we find ways to reduce the birth rate to lower global population."