A Healthy Environment

Children are growing up with a concern for the environment. Their textbooks cover subjects like acid rain and pollution. School receptacles help them take recycling for granted. From the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 to the report from the UN-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on April 6, 2007, young people have seen the environment make news. During their lifetimes, in 2007, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore shared a Nobel Prize for Peace for his contribution to global warming awareness. Some students probably have seen "An Inconvenient Truth," Gore's Oscar-winning documentary film on the subject.

     Carbon dioxide and other gases, such as methane, have the shorthand name, greenhouse gases. The IPCC report, Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, said there was unequivocal evidence that human activities generate the greenhouse gases that trap energy from the sun and cause global warming. Children who know they cannot leave pets alone in a car in the summer are well aware of the dangerous result when glass lets in the heat of the sun without reflecting it back out.

     Greenhouse gases are generated in a number of ways. Garbage dumped in landfills and cattle during their digestive process emit methane. Oil and coal produce needed electricity, but burning these fossil fuels produces trapped heat. Yet, more than a third of the energy consumed in the U.S. comes from oil, and coal generates nearly half of all U.S. electricity. The military requires these reliable sources of power for national security. Throughout the world, the growing industrial and transportation demand for oil, including increased domestic demand in countries that currently export oil, adds pressure to continue an aggressive search for oil shale and other limited oil reserves here and abroad.

     With the growth of world economies fueled by coal and oil, air pollution increases and the greenhouse gases that are heating the earth will continue to melt the polar ice cap and glaciers that reflect heat away from the planet. In 2012, the sea ice in the Arctic Ocean, 1.58 million square miles, was at a record low. Storms build in warm water, and, since the Atlantic Ocean is now warmer than it was in the early 20th century, storms can become more violent. Also, melting ice has caused water to rise, thereby leading to more coastal flooding from storms. As a result of the rising sea level off the coast of India and Bangladesh, New Moore Island disappeared in 2010.

     Glacier melt high up in the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau affects the water supply of three billion people in India, Pakistan, China, Nepal, and Bhutan. Increased melting can cause flash floods to overwhelm villages in Nepal and Bhutan. Flooding from Kashmir's record rainfall, the heaviest in 50 years, killed 400 people in 2014. Ultimately, vanishing glaciers could cause competition for limited melt, especially to grow food, among three nuclear powers: India, Pakistan, and China. On March 31, 2017, a court in India granted Himalayan glaciers the status of "legal persons" to give legal representatives a way to protect them. Water shortages are already a fact of life in China, where drought and a dam on the Yangtze River caused the country's largest freshwater lake to drop to 5% of its usual capacity. With China now planning to construct three dams on rivers flowing from the Tibetan plateau, the area's future water shortage could be even more dire. A plan to build a dam on the Irrawaddy River was blocked, because it was expected to produce electricity for China, but flood villages in Myanmar.

    Every year, World Water Day on March 22 calls attention to the fact that the U.N. already estimates over one-sixth of the world's population lacks fresh water for drinking, washing, and cooking. The Water.org website provides information about efforts to come up with solutions to the need for water in developing countries. In a limited way, according to trendwatching.com, a billboard in Peru collects water from humidity in the air. Trendwatching.com also reports that the nonprofit, Water Is Life, is distributing a "Drinkable Book" in Africa, China, and India. The pages not only provide basic health information, but they also act as water filters. Coated with silver nanoparticles, the pages remove 99% of harmful bacteria, when water passes through them.

     All in all, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projected the following results from an anticipated three to seven degree Fahrenheit temperature increase. Oceans would rise over islands and coastal areas, and already dry desert countries would suffer greater water shortages. There would be lower crop yields, diseases, extinction of up to 30% of plant and animal species, and intense natural disasters. Some 50 million people could become what the IPCC termed environmental refugees.

     The impact of drought on food production is leading to some solutions. Scientists are developing drought-resistant crops with longer roots to reach water and with genes, such as those from ferns and mosses, that enable crops to recover from dry periods. The Swiss firm, PlantCare Ltd, has developed a system to reduce water used to irrigate fields. Soil sensors monitor the water needs for plants at various growth stages, seasonal temperatures, and time of day before a central computer determines the amount of irrigation to deliver to a field as large as one with a 18.6 mile radius. The company also can deliver mobile irrigation systems to fields that do not have permanent ones. Another promising development is the cross-breeding process that mates animals with breeds from Africa and India that already have developed a tolerance to heat and drought. Trendwatching.com reports a truly innovative idea Korean designer, Gyeongwan Kooz, has for turning chopsticks into plants. He would put a seed under a starch cap on each chopstick. After use, the sticks would be placed tip first into soil.

Student action

From two directions, students can take action to reduce global warming and contribute to a healthy environment for the world's population. They can reduce activities that produce greenhouse gases by consuming less electricity for light, heat, air conditioning, transportation, manufacturing, pumping and purifying water, and running appliances. Secondly, they can reduce the amount of refuse that ends up in methane-producing landfills, explore ways to sop up greenhouse gases before they go into the atmosphere, and identify energy alternatives for oil and coal. The book, Green Is Good by Brian F. Keane, might even give them an idea for a career in which they can take advantage of money-making, responsible environmental opportunities.

     Summer offers students an opportunity, not only to read about ways to implement clean energy solutions, but also the chance to make a healthy contribution to the planet by drinking tap water instead of water from plastic bottles that last forever in landfills. Summer also presents an opportunity to plant a rain garden of flowers at the curb to stop dirty water from running into the street and ultimately into streams and lakes. By planting a vegetable garden, youngsters can eliminate the fossil fuel burnt carrying some foods to market. Raising vegetables and herbs can be a major undertaking (See "How Does Your Garden Grow?" at the end of this post.), but planting seeds or tomato plants in any available plot of ground still helps children learn how to care for the earth by watering their "crop," seeing it grow, removing weeds, and harvesting their own food. Young Explorers (YoungExplorers.com) and MindWare (mindware.com) both provide kits that enable children to watch a few carrots, onions, and radishes grow in a Root-Vue Farm year round. In grocery and other stores, kids might find herb plants or seeds and soil to grow rosemary, oregano, thyme, and mint in containers on sunny window sills.  

      Several science kits from MindWare (mindware.com) and Young Explorers (YoungExplorers.com) also enable young people to gain  hands-on-experience with solar power during the sunny days of summer. They will  see how solar panels can power models, including robots, a windmill and airboat. Another MindWare science kit shows how to make an oven that can cook an egg using sun power, and MindWare's Weather Station kit provides experiments that demonstrate the greenhouse effect, while its Clean Water Science kit helps kids understand the process of desalination. Free Spirit Publishing in Minneapolis offers two books that describe water-related projects for children in elementary school (Make a Splash) and those in high school (Going Blue). The company also publishes A Kids' Guide to Climate Change and Global Warming.

     When it's time to go back-to-school, the Environmental Protection Agency (epa.gov) reminds students to purchase notebooks made from recycled paper. The carbonrally.com website challenges students to strive for waste free lunches by carrying a reusable lunch box/bag and putting lunch items in washable, recycled "butter," sour cream, and cottage cheese containers. Carbonrally also suggests substituting reusable, insulated stainless steel bottles for disposable juice boxes and plastic water bottles that require energy for production and emit gases in landfills. If a school does not elect a Commissioner of Environment to student council, students should suggest the need to add this office. At my granddaughter's school, the Commissioner collects and properly disposes of recycled items from each classroom, suggests projects (planting a tree), and finds ways to participate in energy saving and other contests for students.

     Year round, children can recycle their outgrown toys and clothing at a garage sale or thrift store to eliminate the need to use electricity to manufacture new ones. They can save energy as often as they walk or run outside instead of on an electric-powered treadmill and when they walk, bike, or take public transportation rather than ask to be driven to school, activities, or the mall. Finally, they can help save water by sweeping decks, walks, and driveways rather than hosing them down.

     The same beguiling ways children use to persuade parents to buy a new cereal and scouts use to sell cookies can urge adults to:

• Replace incandescent bulbs that release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere with compact fluorescent lights. Turn off lights (and computers), when no one is using them.
• Buy ENERGY STAR (registered trademark) efficient appliances.
• When information is available on clothing tags, company websites, and apps, buy clothing that has received a high Higg Index score from the Sustainable Apparel Coalition for reducing energy costs, use of water and harmful chemicals, and unrecycled landfill fabric. 
• Buy hybrid cars that burn less fossil fuel and electric cars that run on lithium-ion battery packs.
• Paint roofs white to absorb less heat and weatherize windows and attics to prevent heat loss.
• Cut down on the use of fuel to generate electricity for air conditioning by setting summer thermostats at 78 degrees. Keep warm in winter by wearing a heavy sweater or robe rather than turning up the heat past 68 degrees.
• In hot weather, reduce the need for air conditioning by cooking in the cooler mornings and evenings.
• Rediscover awnings. Investigate and use other ways people kept buildings cool before air conditioning.
• Buy produce a a local farmers' market to reduce the fuel needed for transport, and remind them to carry a reusable sack to market and to store leftovers in glass rather than disposable plastic bags and containers.
• Urge parents to buy a mulching mower that leaves grass clippings on the lawn to decompose and   provide moisture to shade roots and reduce watering needs.
• Conserve water by fixing dripping faucets; taking shorter showers; and wetting hands or toothbrush and turning off water while applying soap or toothpaste before turning the water back on again. 
• Pave walkways, drives, and parking lots with porous concrete that enables storm water to flow back into the ground.
• Start petitions to establish recycling centers for electronic goods and to pad playgrounds with recycled, shredded tires.
• Remind adults to recycle ink cartridges at stores where they were purchased.
• Reduce landfill waste that releases methane emissions and pollutes the soil by recycling glass, paper, cans, and plastic and reusing padded mailing envelopes, plastic bags, and other items. Not only do plastic bags last forever in landfills, but they also end up in water where they kill over 100,000 whales, seals, turtles, and birds every yearSa.
• Save trees by getting off mailing lists for unwanted catalogs and viewing brochures and other information that is available online.
• Keep from contaminating soil and water by using safe community disposal methods for used batteries, oil, computers, and energy efficient light bulbs that contain mercury.
• Visit the website, smartpower.org, to learn about the Neighbor to Neighbor Challenge.

 Absorb less heat

Scientists in the field of geoengineering are discovering ways to control global warming by helping the planet absorb less heat. To counteract the loss of reflective ice from shrinking polar ice caps, they would force the ocean's dark open water to absorb more carbon dioxide by fertilizing plankton with iron and phosphorus. Other geoengineering proposals worthy of pro and con study include: sending giant mirrors into space, injecting reflective sulfate particles into the stratosphere, pumping seawater into clouds to help them block more sun, covering the deserts with reflective sheets, and engineering trees to absorb more carbon dioxide.

     As is, one mature tree already absorbs 48 pounds of carbon dioxide according to the website, planetgreen. discovery.com. The 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Wangari Maathai, founded a program to plant a billion trees. The United Nations Environmental Programme reports her idea has resulted in 12 billion trees being planted in 193 countries. At school and at home, students can join this effort by planting trees and going to unep.org/billiontreecampaign to record the number of trees they planted.

     Trees have the added benefit of cutting down on electricity consumption. The Department of Energy reports as few as three leafy deciduous trees placed on the south and west sides of a building block sunlight and prevent summer heat buildup indoors. Once these same trees lose their leaves in fall, they let in sunlight to warm buildings in the winter. Evergreen trees on the north and west sides of a building block wintry winds.

    Another idea to keep an eye on is a light-colored coating for black asphalt pavements. Several colors are being tested. They show promise for reflecting up to 40% of energy.

    

Energy alternatives

The need to reduce pollution and greenhouse gases has set off a race to find quick fix solutions and alternatives for fossil fuels. Much like foods that stress their low fat and high fiber content, but fail to mention they contain lots of salt and sugar, remedies proposed as renewable resources, solutions for a clean environment, and the cure for global warming gloss over drawbacks. The Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy website (eere.energy.gov) provides information about alternative energy sources, such as solar, wind, water, biomass, geothermal, and hydrogen and fuel cells.

        Students challenged to develop science fair, scouting, or research projects might want to learn more about the peel-and-stick solar panels developed by Chi Hwan Lee and Xiaolin Zheng at Stanford. Unlike the heavy, rigid fixed panels that now collect solar energy, their process creates a flexible film of solar cells. Students should be able to find many uses for this low cost, peel-and-stick solar cell film that can adhere to irregular surfaces and to paper, plastic, window glass, and other materials.

     Students interested in designing a full scale green city of the future will want to keep an eye on Chengdu, the city in southwestern China that is designed to accommodate 80,000 residents in a central core surrounded by green areas and parks. This city aims to develop solar, water, and waste systems that use 48% less energy and 58% less water than towns of a comparable size.

     Students also need to think about tackling some of the problems associated with the following "solutions."

     Although hybrid and electric automobiles reduce carbon emissions from burning fossil fuel, expansion of the electric power grid needed to supply these cars requires additional fuel. Moreover, these cars are too expensive for most buyers, and more battery exchange or electric charging stations are needed to service hybrid and electric autos. According to the website, trendwatching.com, a company in Italy has come up with a solar powered charger for electric vehicles.

     Without any changes, all automobiles can reduce gasoline consumption by substituting a 10% ethanol additive. However, land needed to grow ethanol crops, such as corn and soybeans, has led to food and animal feed shortages, the destruction of rain forests that sop up greenhouse gases, and reduced animal habitats.

     Biodiesel fuel can be extracted from algae that is fertilized by municipal and agricultural wastewater and even saltwater. The carbon dioxide released from burning algae-based biodiesel fuel is less than the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed during the algae growing process. But the cost of establishing a one acre algae pond mixed by motorized paddle wheels is higher than planting corn for ethanol. Bioreactors that prevent microorganisms from invading ponds increase costs even more. Algae ponds also absorb less carbon dioxide in winter and none at night. At the moment, the cost of extracting and refining biodiesel from algae is too high to be economically feasible.

     Homes and businesses can tap into the Earth's underground heat (geothermal energy) to reduce carbon emissions, but front-end installation costs, including small bore drilling to reach the heat source target, can be expensive. Underground lakes of heated water, not available everywhere, are the best sources of geothermal power. However, the permits and other hurdles involved can delay a geothermal power plant from being built for 5 to 10 years.

     A close look at wind power also reveals drawbacks as well as benefits. At best, one estimate suggests wind could generate only 20% of the energy used in the U.S. by 2030. A less reported problem is the number of wind turbines that have caught on fire. Touted as a non-polluting and renewable source of electricity, wind power proponents also stress the industry's potential for job creation. What has been downplayed is the need to spend billions for new transmission lines to connect remote wind farms to urban areas and the need to develop storage capacity to save wind energy for calm days, since wind speed (and sun for solar power) does not ebb and flow with the demand for electricity.

      Apple is seeking a  patent on a process that addresses the problem of storing wind power energy by enabling the heat generated by rotating wind turbines to be stored in fluid. This concept of turning wind power into heated fluid also is being used to generate electricity by turning solar power provided by mirrors into superheated water that becomes the steam that turns turbines. While solar-thermal plants can generate electricity without the pollution and carbon emissions of fossil fuels, they are more costly than coal and natural gas furnaces. Government guaranteed loans were needed to help finance Ivanpah, the solar-thermal plant on the California-Nevada border in the Mojave Desert. Nonetheless, this plant, which also enjoys the guaranteed purchase of its electricity at above market prices from California's utilities, is a model for interested Middle Eastern desert countries, such as Saudi Arabia.

     Further, besides the problems of transmitting and storing wind power, some are concerned about the effect wind farms have on people, especially those living in wide open spaces where the wind power industry pressures local governments to grant noise control exemptions. Noise from wind turbines is described either as a jet engine or a rhythmic hum. In either case, the sound cannot be ignored while watching TV or trying to sleep. One study at a home 1,280 feet from a wind farm in Brown County, Wisconsin, found that even almost inaudible, low-frequency sound coming from outside caused homeowners nausea, dizziness, headaches, and ear pressure similar to motion sickness. According to a report in the "Wisconsin State Journal" (January 4, 2013), Clean Wisconsin, an environmental group that arranged the test and favors renewable energy, contended the study did not conclude that low-frequency sound caused the health problems, because no peer-reviewed studies found health problems related to inaudible sounds. Headaches, dizziness, and nausea also have been claimed by some people affected by the flicker effect of alternating shadows and sunlight caused by the spinning blades.

     Four years from now, wind turbines developed by the Spanish firm, Vortex Bladeless, could overcome some of the criticisms that have prevented windfarms from serving as an alternate source of energy, especially near homes in urban areas. A smaller version of the Vortex bladeless wind turbine, coupled with a solar panel and small battery, could be available to run three lights, a TV, and a refrigerator in homes in Africa and India in 18 months.

     By eliminating moving parts, bladeless wind turbines don't cause the flicker effect, and they are less visually intrusive, almost noiseless, and safer for birds. Yet they are able to collect close to 40% of energy from the wind (less than the 50% some conventional wind turbines collect and generate). Positioned on a magnetic base, the bladeless mast amplifies the oscillation caused by the swirling air passing by the 150-meter tall turbine. Since there is no friction, there is no need for lubricating oils. The lack of mechanical parts also reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs.

     Like Vortex Bladeless, students might focus on the questions about wind power that need answers. Are people making health claims because they do not like the look of wind turbines and the view they obstruct? Could strategically placed trees muffle sound and prevent flickering light and shadows? In terms of zoning, how close should turbines be to homes? What are acceptable low-frequency and high-frequency decibel sound levels? At what noise level do conventional wind turbines constitute a nuisance? What percentage of the nearby population has to be disturbed in order for a community to get an injunction stopping windfarm construction? Should state and/or federal governments prohibit local authorities from imposing regulations that block or ban wind energy projects?

Conclusion

Books and toys are beginning to tap into the concern children show for the planet. A Child's Introduction to the Environment, which comes with a reusable lunch sack, explains the need to protect the air, earth, and sea and lists 15 easy things to do to help the environment. It also includes instructions for conducting experiments, such as detecting smog. Catalogues from MindWare (mindware.com) and Young Explorers (YoungExplorers.com) come with more and more toys that demonstrate how new power sources work.

     Focusing on the environment means focusing on an interrelated system that includes the natural world and all the peoples that inhabit the Earth. Sometime in a child's future there may be no magazine articles, talk shows, television segments, websites, or documentary films devoted to reducing carbon footprints, water conservation, and recycling. These activities could become such a normal part of life that they would merit no more public discussion that how to order fast food, use an ATM, or wear contact lenses do today. If that day comes, kids can congratulate themselves for the healthy world they helped create.


                                                How Does Your Garden Grow?

Different soils have different needs Get a soil test by the state's cooperative extension service or buy a soil test kit at a garden center. Heavy clay soil, for example, requires added sand and nutrients from peat moss, manure, or compost. Acidic soil may need lime; alkaline soil, sulfur.

Dig up and turn over the top layer of soil before planting Remove weeds, rocks, and other debris from garden plot. Add compost or manure fertilizer. Make organic compost from lawn clippings, leaves, kitchen vegetable scraps, and egg shells. Go to the websites, birdsandblooms.com/mag and planetgreen.discovery.com, for additional composting ideas.

Fence out predators, including rabbits and pets Marigolds may deter rabbits, but, to really deter burrowers, a fine mesh fence needs to extend below ground level. Keeping deer out will require a six-foot fence. Pest control may require treatments matched to specific bugs.

Grow vegetables and herbs Check seed packets for advice about when to plant, how deep to plant, and how far apart to space plants. On little sticks, label which vegetables have been planted where. Tall plants, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, require support by tall stakes or small branches, and they should be planted on the north side of the garden to keep from shading lower plants. Vegetables might include: beets, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, peppers, radishes, scallions, snap peas, squash,  and Swiss chard. Plant herbs, such as basil, chives, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme.

Maintain the garden by watering, weeding, and removing withered growths When possible, water with rainwater collected in buckets. Sandy soil needs more frequent watering than clay. Weeds will take over the garden if not pulled out by the root.

A mini-greenhouse provides a year round growing season. The website, fourseasonfarm.com, lists sources for glass greenhouses.