https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o Kaitlyn Levinson en-us 2017-11-06 17:53:01 UTC 2018-05-15 03:23:14 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Xmastree.png 18levinsonk https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o/wish/204027518 A new method of calculating livestock's carbon-footprint entails calculating the impact of a single animal rather than a collective group of animals. This method was developed by a team from The University of Bristol and Rothamsted Research that claims by finding the individual effect a cow has, more sustainable farming can be achieved. According to the team's studies, the total footprint incorrectly gauges the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission because it doesn't take into account animals that have poor performance. According to Dr. Taro Takahashi, a research scientist at North Wyke, the low carbon footprint estimates mean, in the long term, an easier process of alleviating GHG emissions. The Food Climate Research Network (FCRN) argues that livestock production adds to global warming no matter the species or method of caring/grazing them. The Head of North Wycke and Professor of Sustainable Livestock Systems at the Bristol Veterinary School holds that the new strategy to calculate carbon footprints does not exist to undo climate change, but to offer solutions to sustainable land use, better protein production, and improved animal care to name a few.The end goal of finding single carbon footprints is to increase the sustainability of food production.]]> 2017-11-06 18:02:03 UTC https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o/wish/204027518 18levinsonk https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o/wish/204043250 A recent executive-branch government report on the climate has declared that humans are the primary cause of global warming. It is shown that sea levels have risen by 3 inches since already increased levels since 1993. Also, the average temperature of the US has increased by 1.8 degrees between 1901 and 2016. The authors further prove their point by stating there are no other plausible explanations for the rapid warming of the earth since the 20th century. Moreover, the article predicts heavy rainfall as well as heatwaves and forest fire; and drought as a result of reduced snow-pack and early spring melt. The authors suggest that emissions of GHG need to occur so that the average global temperature's increase can remain under 3.6 degrees F. Despite this evidence, President Trump remains doubtful or ambiguous on the subject. The article cites that President Trump has called climate change a hoax, but has also claimed to have an open mind towards the issue. With regards to the welfare of the environment, Trump has not appointed a head to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and has expressed intentions to exit the Paris Climate Accord.  ]]> 2017-11-06 18:27:50 UTC https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o/wish/204043250 18levinsonk https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o/wish/204127068 Two glaciers in Antarctica pose a threat to sea levels due to their rapid melting. The Pine Island glacier regularly flows into the Amundsen Sea and between 2014 and 2017 has produced an iceberg over 100 square miles. This is due in part to the fact that it is now gaining more mass than it is losing. Moreover, the glacier's flow has sped up recently; its ice shelf has increased its speed by 75% since 1973 until 2010. The other major glacier, the Thwaites, threatens to raise sea levels as well. This glacier alone could add more than two feet because it remains unrestrained by a valley. The Pine Island and Thwaites together could mean an augmentation of four feet which would be disastrous to coastal regions. Eric Rignot, a climate scientist at the University of California, reports that the heightened melting is a result of nearby warm waters. During the past year, however, the glacier's shedding has had little effect because the locations they are in cannot support the icebergs. Another positive is that scientists can use the Pine Island and Thwaites to study how ice shelves react to changes and the look of a grand scale breakdown of Anarctic glaciers. ]]> 2017-11-06 21:05:55 UTC https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o/wish/204127068 18levinsonk https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o/wish/204949598 Scientists have reported in Nature Communications journal that European peat bogs are able to adapt fairly quickly to alterations of temperature, precipitation, and other changes. Researches have looked at 56 peat bogs under different climatic/environmental conditions and nitrogen and sulfur levels in order to study the species living there. They found that even though certain species die off due to the changes, more organisms similar to them replace them. This principle is attributed to the fact that plants split into two divisions that react differently to such changes but still have similar functions. As a result, the bog is able to maintain stability and demonstrates resilience. Too much change, however, would be disastrous because the species would not be replaced quickly enough. Also, they may not be replaced the right species because they would move to more suitable areas. Since this wetland ecosystem holds 500 billion metric tons of carbon, they pose the threat of massive carbon emissions should human activity or natural disasters cause the bogs to release carbon dioxide. ]]> 2017-11-08 17:41:39 UTC https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o/wish/204949598 18levinsonk https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o/wish/204960989 Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on September 20 and destroyed fragile crops such as coffee and papaya. Carlos Flores Ortega, Secretary for the Department of Agriculture, says that up to 80% of crops were destroyed and will require around $2 billion to repair the damage. Some farms already have a jump start with respect to recovery. These farms, as parts of the The Organización Boricuá de Agricultura Ecológica, have been practicing sustainable farming methods which include water management, swale digging, the use of permaculture and other measures. These practices not only prepare farmers for future disasters but also builds the resilience of their farm land. One organization that has been doing this is Plenitud. It has been educating and helping farmers through workshops to practice and rely on more sustainable farming as well to recover from Hurricane Maria. On the other hand, the Department of Agriculture wants to focus on raising funds and initiating programs in order to fix the territory's state. While these two groups differ in their methods, they both actively work towards the same goal- repairing Puerto Rico's farming industry. ]]> 2017-11-08 17:59:59 UTC https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o/wish/204960989 18levinsonk https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o/wish/204974406 As a result of rising temperatures around the globe, the Arctic has been heating up twice as fast. This has caused sea ice to melt, wildlife to disappear, and sea levels to increase. This heating up has the biggest toll on the Arctic's permafrost. It has been melting at alarming rates which is an issue because of the amount of carbon in contains. If permafrost melts enough to emit carbon, the gas' presence in the atmosphere could further contribute to more global warming, a 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit increase, which would then cause the permafrost to melt more. Another consequence to melting permafrost is the weakening of the ground's infrastructure. The land begins to slump in on itself without the support of permafrost below it. Furthermore, loss of permafrost can lead to drainage of lakes which could lead to the drying out or flooding of different areas. Alaska has lost so much carbon from thawing permafrost that scientists have began to consider it as a net source of Carbon rather than a sink. ]]> 2017-11-08 18:20:30 UTC https://padlet.com/18levinsonk/wwo06prf4r6o/wish/204974406