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September 4, 2018
Warmer temperatures have led to more severe toxic algae blooms across the United States, including in the Great Lakes region. Photo courtesy of NASA via flickr.com.
On August 29, the U.S. EPA announced it would be reevaluating its Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), despite the fact that major utility companies have already taken actions to comply with the regulation. Power plants that were unable to comply with MATS have already shut down, while others currently use the necessary pollution reduction technologies. Rather than providing immediate change, experts view EPA's action as a way to open the door for utility operators to avoid stricter standards in the future. The focus is on the "Risk and Technology Review" under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), which requires a review every eight years of how effective pollution standards have been in reducing public health risks. The next review is scheduled for 2020 under the existing MATS structure. Some utilities want to see MATS moved to Section 111(d) of the CAA to avoid potential regulation of harmful particulate matter pollution under Section 112. However, other utility stakeholders would prefer to maintain the current MATS structure, since their firms have already invested significant capital to comply with the rules.
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E&E News
On August 28, California's State Assembly approved legislation by a 44 to 33 vote that would require California to acquire 100 percent of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2045. The bill also mandates that the state generate 60 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, an increase from 50 percent under current law. The State Senate passed a version of the bill in May 2017. Legislators were expected to reach an agreement on amendments by the end of the legislative session on August 31. It's widely anticipated that Gov. Jerry Brown will sign the bill into law. The state has been laying the groundwork for its accelerated energy transition in other ways, including a recent revision to building codes requiring new homes to be equipped for solar power. Hawaii is the only other state to pass legislation mandating 100 percent renewable energy, but Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Washington, DC are also weighing such a step.
New York Times
Voters in Houston, Texas and its surrounding county approved the issuance of $2.5 billion in bonds to finance flood-control measures to help fend off future extreme weather events. The vote came a year after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in the region, leading to 36 deaths and more than 150,000 flooded homes across Houston. The bond referendum would help fund projects to be selected from a list of 230 proposals. Officials indicated the funds would be used to supplement federal dollars already earmarked for flood prevention efforts following Hurricane Harvey. The measure would lead to an average increase of $5 per year on property taxes for county residents. Some critics of the plan have called for greater transparency in how the money may be used and have questioned whether certain projects will benefit low-income neighborhoods. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said, "As we develop going forward, we're going to have to do things differently."
NBC News
The limestone Biscayne Aquifer provides an inexpensive source of fresh, near-surface water for Miami-Dade to draw from. However, the aquifer's proximity to the surface and its permeability also makes it highly vulnerable to contamination from salt water incursion and man-made pollutants. Rising seas are expected to inundate much of Miami by 2100. A 2014 EPA report found that "flooding from more intense and frequent storms" could cause toxins from Superfund sites to contaminate underground water supplies. Research shows that the county's precipitation rates during heavy storms has increased by seven percent since the 1960s. Additional flooding could overwhelm existing water pollution controls that currently strip out toxins before they reach the region's taps. Runoff from mining sites and residential septic tanks also present water contamination risks. Douglas Yoder, deputy director of Miami-Dade County's water and sewer department, said, "We have a very delicate balance in a highly managed system. That balance is very likely to get upset by sea-level rise."
Bloomberg
A new report from the Colorado River Research Group illustrates the conflict in trying to maintain water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell as resources become more constrained. The group of ten scientists found that despite Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming not drawing all the water from the Colorado River Basin they've been allocated by law, Lake Powell is still shrinking due to withdrawals to supply Lake Mead. The report states that the two lakes should be managed as "one giant reservoir," rather than the two-reservoir system currently in place. The Colorado River Basin has been experiencing one of the driest 19-year stretches in 1,200 years, exacerbated by water consumption for human activities, drought, and climate change. The Colorado River and its tributaries provide water for 40 million people. By the end of 2018, Lake Powell's water level is projected to have dropped 94 feet from 2000 levels. The report stated, "If storage in Lake Powell cannot rebound in an era where the Upper Basin consumes less than two‐thirds of its legal apportionment, then the crisis is already real."
Arizona Republic
Rising temperatures have led to more severe and widespread algae blooms across the United States. Scientists generally agree that the blooms are fueled by warmer waters, heat waves, and extreme weather brought on by climate change. Human activity, such as farm and sewage runoff, have also contributed to the intensity of the bloom events. An on-going toxic "red tide" has hung around the southwestern coast of Florida for more than nine months, leading to wildlife die-offs and beach closures. In August, government monitors at NOAA warned that parts of Lake Erie were not fit for recreational activities due to an algal bloom. Lake Superior has also suffered in August, with mats of green algae occupying a 50 mile stretch of the lake's southern shore. Scientists are still assessing the triggering factors, but believe warmer temperatures likely played a role. Dr. Robert Sterner of the University of Minnesota-Duluth called it "the largest, most intense bloom yet," adding that the area affected "is a very highly prized, recreational part of the lake."
Extreme seasonal temperatures are taking a toll on the people and infrastructure of communities across the southwestern United States. A growing number of cities are facing daily highs surpassing 100 or even 110 degrees Fahrenheit in August. The heat poses a substantial public health risk, with Phoenix suffering from a record 155 heat-related deaths over the past year. Los Angeles is projected to see its annual 95-plus-degree days triple by 2050, but city officials are attempting to get ahead of the problem. In 2013, Los Angeles became the first major U.S. city to require new and remodeled homes to install "cool roofing" that better reflects solar radiation. Due to the urban "heat island" effect, areas that have seen the greatest growth have also seen their overnight temperatures increase as much as 10 degrees F over a period of decades. Scientist David Hondula of Arizona State University observed, “Urbanization has been the dominant driver of regional warming in many of the heat belt cities. That’s a much larger [change] than what we estimate the effect of global warming to be over that time period.”
Washington Post
According to a new study, the amount of rice, maize, and wheat that will be lost to insects will climb by 10 to 25 percent for every additional degree Celsius of global warming. The trio of crops provide 42 percent of the total calories consumed by humanity. This translates to losses equaling 19 million metric tons of wheat and 14 million metric tons each of rice and maize under the predicted scenario of two degrees C of warming. Today, insects consume an estimated 10 to 20 percent of all crops produced worldwide. Rising temperatures are already projected to reduce crop yields by five percent, before accounting for insect damages. Researcher Curtis Deutsch of the University of Washington said, "We’re not talking about the collapse of agriculture, but we’re talking about significant losses." The study built on past research showing that as temperatures increase, insects burn calories at a faster rate, resulting in greater food consumption. Warming in temperate zones would also provide a more ideal environment for certain insect populations to grow.
The Atlantic
Latest Estimate Ranks Hurricane Maria as Deadliest Hurricane to Strike United States in 100 Years
Government Report Projects Absence of Cap-and-Trade in Ontario to Cause Massive Spike in Emissions
Federal Court Halts Canadian Pipeline, Orders Consideration of First Nation Communities in Planning
Study: Air Pollution Exposure Can Lead to Significant Decline in Cognition
Study: Elevated Carbon Dioxide Levels Can Cause Food Crops to Become Less Nutritious
Writer and Editor: Brian La Shier
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