Thursday, December 31, 2009
Rare New Year's Eve 'Blue Moon' To Ring In 2010
FROM: KCBS/KCAL DT
LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't expect it to be blue -- the name has nothing to do with the color of our closest celestial neighbor.
A full moon occurred on Dec. 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown.
"If you're in Times Square, you'll see the full moon right above you. It's going to be that brilliant," said Jack Horkheimer, director emeritus of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium and host of a weekly astronomy TV show.
The New Year's Eve blue moon will be visible in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. For partygoers in Australia and Asia, the full moon does not show up until New Year's Day, making January a blue moon month for them.
However, the Eastern Hemisphere can celebrate with a partial lunar eclipse on New Year's Eve when part of the moon enters the Earth's shadow. The eclipse will not be visible in the Americas.
A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On average, an extra full moon in a month -- a blue moon -- occurs every 2.5 years. The last time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't come again until 2028.
Blue moons have no astronomical significance, said Greg Laughlin, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
"`Blue moon' is just a name in the same sense as a `hunter's moon' or a `harvest moon,"' Laughlin said in an e-mail.
The popular definition of blue moon came about after a writer for Sky & Telescope magazine in 1946 misinterpreted the Maine Farmer's Almanac and labeled a blue moon as the second full moon in a month. In fact, the almanac defined a blue moon as the third full moon in a season with four full moons, not the usual three.
Though Sky & Telescope corrected the error decades later, the definition caught on. For purists, however, this New Year's Eve full moon doesn't even qualify as a blue moon. It's just the first full moon of the winter season.
In a tongue-in-cheek essay posted on the magazine's Web site this week, senior contributing editor Kelly Beatty wrote: "If skies are clear when I'm out celebrating, I'll take a peek at that brilliant orb as it rises over the Boston skyline to see if it's an icy shade of blue. Or maybe I'll just howl."
LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't expect it to be blue -- the name has nothing to do with the color of our closest celestial neighbor.
A full moon occurred on Dec. 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown.
"If you're in Times Square, you'll see the full moon right above you. It's going to be that brilliant," said Jack Horkheimer, director emeritus of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium and host of a weekly astronomy TV show.
The New Year's Eve blue moon will be visible in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. For partygoers in Australia and Asia, the full moon does not show up until New Year's Day, making January a blue moon month for them.
However, the Eastern Hemisphere can celebrate with a partial lunar eclipse on New Year's Eve when part of the moon enters the Earth's shadow. The eclipse will not be visible in the Americas.
A full moon occurs every 29.5 days, and most years have 12. On average, an extra full moon in a month -- a blue moon -- occurs every 2.5 years. The last time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't come again until 2028.
Blue moons have no astronomical significance, said Greg Laughlin, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
"`Blue moon' is just a name in the same sense as a `hunter's moon' or a `harvest moon,"' Laughlin said in an e-mail.
The popular definition of blue moon came about after a writer for Sky & Telescope magazine in 1946 misinterpreted the Maine Farmer's Almanac and labeled a blue moon as the second full moon in a month. In fact, the almanac defined a blue moon as the third full moon in a season with four full moons, not the usual three.
Though Sky & Telescope corrected the error decades later, the definition caught on. For purists, however, this New Year's Eve full moon doesn't even qualify as a blue moon. It's just the first full moon of the winter season.
In a tongue-in-cheek essay posted on the magazine's Web site this week, senior contributing editor Kelly Beatty wrote: "If skies are clear when I'm out celebrating, I'll take a peek at that brilliant orb as it rises over the Boston skyline to see if it's an icy shade of blue. Or maybe I'll just howl."
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Nation’s Ocean Observing System Completes Year-Long Data Standardization
FROM: NOAA
As of this month, mariners, coastal managers, and many other users seeking timely and tailored ocean and Great Lakes conditions are now able to access standardized data sets across all U.S. regions. This marks the completion of a milestone in a national effort to link federal and non-federal sources of ocean and coastal observations and forecasts, to include water level, salinity, temperature and wind and wave data.
“For years, users have compiled data from different sources and manually converted them into formats that work together – from Celsius to Fahrenheit, for example,” said Josie Quintrell, Executive Director of the National Federation of Regional Associations. “This effort will save time and money and ensure the protection of people and property on or near the water.”
Conducted by NOAA, other federal agencies and 11 independent regional associations of ocean observing partners, this year-long project to ensure consistent standards and Web services for various data sets are available via the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®)—a system designed to enhance America’s ability to collect, deliver, and use ocean information.
“Data from IOOS can be used for a variety of purposes, from providing information for safe and effective maritime commerce to enhancing water quality, as well as models for searches and rescues,” said Zdenka Willis, NOAA IOOS Director. “Conditions observed by IOOS are also studied by experts to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change.”
IOOS delivers the data and information decision makers need to take action to improve safety, enhance the economy and protect the environment. These data provide a larger picture of the interaction between the ocean and global climate systems and advance our understanding of potential climate change impacts on our marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
As of this month, mariners, coastal managers, and many other users seeking timely and tailored ocean and Great Lakes conditions are now able to access standardized data sets across all U.S. regions. This marks the completion of a milestone in a national effort to link federal and non-federal sources of ocean and coastal observations and forecasts, to include water level, salinity, temperature and wind and wave data.
“For years, users have compiled data from different sources and manually converted them into formats that work together – from Celsius to Fahrenheit, for example,” said Josie Quintrell, Executive Director of the National Federation of Regional Associations. “This effort will save time and money and ensure the protection of people and property on or near the water.”
Conducted by NOAA, other federal agencies and 11 independent regional associations of ocean observing partners, this year-long project to ensure consistent standards and Web services for various data sets are available via the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®)—a system designed to enhance America’s ability to collect, deliver, and use ocean information.
“Data from IOOS can be used for a variety of purposes, from providing information for safe and effective maritime commerce to enhancing water quality, as well as models for searches and rescues,” said Zdenka Willis, NOAA IOOS Director. “Conditions observed by IOOS are also studied by experts to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change.”
IOOS delivers the data and information decision makers need to take action to improve safety, enhance the economy and protect the environment. These data provide a larger picture of the interaction between the ocean and global climate systems and advance our understanding of potential climate change impacts on our marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Sun, Moon Responsible for Earthquakes?
FROM: FOX News
Tremors that start deep underground are caused by water being controlled by the sun and moon, a new study by UC Berkeley seismologists has found.
According to ScienceDaily, the study could pave the way for better understanding of earthquakes.
The seismologists studied part of California's 800-mile San Andreas Fault, which has been responsible for some of the largest U.S. earthquakes. They found that underground fluids copy the movement of the tides causing tremors well below the level where earthquakes occur.
They believe the tremors might be making it easier for the rock to slip, weakening the fault and paving the way for earthquakes to take place.
"It is certainly in the realm of reasonable conjecture that tremors are stressing the fault zone above it," seismologist Robert Nadeau of the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory said.
"The deep San Andreas Fault is moving faster when tremors are more active, presumably stressing the seismogenic zone, loading the fault a little bit faster. And that may have a relationship to stimulating earthquake activity."
Nadeau said more research is needed to establish the relationship between the underground tremors and earthquakes.
"There is still a lot to learn about tremor and earthquakes in fault zones," Nadeau said.
"The fact that we find tremors adjacent to a locked fault ... makes you think there are some more important relationships going on here, and we need to study it more."
Tremors that start deep underground are caused by water being controlled by the sun and moon, a new study by UC Berkeley seismologists has found.
According to ScienceDaily, the study could pave the way for better understanding of earthquakes.
The seismologists studied part of California's 800-mile San Andreas Fault, which has been responsible for some of the largest U.S. earthquakes. They found that underground fluids copy the movement of the tides causing tremors well below the level where earthquakes occur.
They believe the tremors might be making it easier for the rock to slip, weakening the fault and paving the way for earthquakes to take place.
"It is certainly in the realm of reasonable conjecture that tremors are stressing the fault zone above it," seismologist Robert Nadeau of the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory said.
"The deep San Andreas Fault is moving faster when tremors are more active, presumably stressing the seismogenic zone, loading the fault a little bit faster. And that may have a relationship to stimulating earthquake activity."
Nadeau said more research is needed to establish the relationship between the underground tremors and earthquakes.
"There is still a lot to learn about tremor and earthquakes in fault zones," Nadeau said.
"The fact that we find tremors adjacent to a locked fault ... makes you think there are some more important relationships going on here, and we need to study it more."
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Give your tree back to nature
FROM: San Diego Union-Tribune
Don’t throw that crispy Christmas tree in the trash now that the holiday is over. Most cities across the county will pick it up and recycle it straight from the curb on regular trash days.
For those living in multifamily complexes, drop-off locations are available.
The trees are collected and taken to landfills where they are grinded into mulch for future use.
In Chula Vista, the mulch is used at the Otay Landfill during wet weather to enhance slope stability.
For those who feel badly for trees that are cut down and used as temporary Christmas decor, Environmental Services Program Director Lynne France of Chula Vista offers this:
“Christmas trees are not as environmentally horrible as everyone thinks, because they are plantation grown for the purpose of being a Christmas tree,” France said. “It’s not like they are cutting down old-growth forests to give you a Christmas tree.”
For recycling purposes, all trees must be cleaned of tree stands, lights, ornaments and other decorations.
In San Diego, trees from commercial lots or fundraising projects must be taken to the Miramar Greenery at the Miramar Landfill, 5180 Convoy St., north of state Route 52. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
-- Complete list of San Diego’s drop-off locations --
Don’t throw that crispy Christmas tree in the trash now that the holiday is over. Most cities across the county will pick it up and recycle it straight from the curb on regular trash days.
For those living in multifamily complexes, drop-off locations are available.
The trees are collected and taken to landfills where they are grinded into mulch for future use.
In Chula Vista, the mulch is used at the Otay Landfill during wet weather to enhance slope stability.
For those who feel badly for trees that are cut down and used as temporary Christmas decor, Environmental Services Program Director Lynne France of Chula Vista offers this:
“Christmas trees are not as environmentally horrible as everyone thinks, because they are plantation grown for the purpose of being a Christmas tree,” France said. “It’s not like they are cutting down old-growth forests to give you a Christmas tree.”
For recycling purposes, all trees must be cleaned of tree stands, lights, ornaments and other decorations.
In San Diego, trees from commercial lots or fundraising projects must be taken to the Miramar Greenery at the Miramar Landfill, 5180 Convoy St., north of state Route 52. Hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
-- Complete list of San Diego’s drop-off locations --
Friday, December 25, 2009
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Weekly Drought Monitor - as of December 22nd, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
In drought, California learns importance of going green
FROM: USA Today
By William M. Welch, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — After three years of drought, Southern California is learning to go green by going brown.
Across the semi-arid region that is home to more than 20 million people, restrictions on water use in homes and businesses imposed this year have produced a 15% savings, regional water officials say.
Leading the way has been Los Angeles itself, where a more than 18% reduction means the city will have used less water in 2009 than it did 25 years ago, despite the addition of 1 million people in that time, according to the city's Department of Water and Power.
"The region has really responded," says Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
The biggest water conservation results have come from residential customers, rather than business or industry, city water figures show. The cost, for many residents, has been brown, dormant or dying grass lawns due to a stricter water diet.
"We restricted watering the lawns — that was the main saving measure," says David Freeman, general manager of the L.A. Department of Water and Power.
Since June, Los Angeles has permitted lawn sprinklers to run only on Mondays and Thursdays, for no more than 15 minutes a day, and never between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., when evaporation is greatest. The restrictions are enforced by more than a dozen "water police" who patrol for sprinkler scofflaws and follow tips by residents tattling on water-wasteful neighbors.
Those water cops have investigated 17,000 cases since June and issued more than 6,000 citations, and repeat offenders face fines of $100 to $600 and potentially having their water shut off, L.A. water department spokeswoman Jane Galbraith says. The city raised fees for customers whose monthly usage exceeds a fixed allotment based on historical use and family size.
The result has been a more than 23% reduction in water use by single-family homes here.
"Frankly, a lot of people pretty much gave up on keeping a green lawn all summer and kind of gave in to it," says Freeman, a former chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority. "There was no shortage of angry people."
Substitutes for grass
Tight water supplies have sent some searching for more environmentally friendly alternatives to green grass — such as no-water landscaping with gravel and cactus; low-water native plants such as rosemary, lilac and yuccas; and synthetic grass.
Daniel Bagdon and Rick von Schrader, partners in a ForeverLawn franchise, have been ripping out brown grass and installing their proprietary brand of artificial lawns at homes ranging from multimillion-dollar mansions in Malibu and Pacific Palisades to more modest houses and apartments. Their green synthetic turf has replaced natural grass in public parks, fields and dog runs and around commercial buildings.
Business has been up 20% to 25% this year, von Schrader says, much of it driven by customers tired of the cost and hassles of watering. "Half the time people say, 'I want to save on my water bill,' " Bagdon says. "It comes down to cost."
Los Angeles soon may start paying some of the cost of replacing grass lawns. Freeman said his department is proposing that the City Council adopt a "cash for grass" program next year in which residents who rip out grass lawns for one of the drought-friendly alternatives will receive cash or rebates. Freeman said they have not decided on an amount, but he expects the incentive will exceed $1 per square foot of grass removed.
The city has other restrictions. It is illegal to wash a car using a hose without a shut-off nozzle, to wash down hard-surfaced driveways and sidewalks, or to not repair a leaky pipe or fixture.
Restaurants are prohibited from serving glasses of water to customers unless they request it — even though drinking water accounts for 1% or less of water consumption, Freeman says. "It's to bring it to people's attention," he says. "Obviously it's not to save that quantity of water."
Not everyone's happy
Some say the restrictions go too far.
Greig Smith, an L.A. City Council member from the San Fernando Valley, calls the lawn watering limits "too draconian" and is proposing an ordinance allowing watering three days a week for a shorter time period, eight minutes.
He said he used that watering pattern on his own yard and kept it green — though he was in violation of the city's limits.
"My lawn is one of the greenest on the street. It worked," Smith says. "What prompted me was … neighborhood after neighborhood looking really run down with bushes, lawns and flowers dying."
Los Angeles and Southern California receive little rainfall most of the year and rely heavily on imports of water via aqueducts from the Owens Valley in eastern California, the Sierra Nevada through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and the Colorado River. Each of those sources is under pressure by drought, competing interests and in the case of the Delta, court-ordered restrictions on pumping for environmental reasons.
Each year has brought new limits on the amount of water available to Southern California from those sources. Even critics such as Smith acknowledge that forced conservation isn't ending anytime soon.
"We do live in a desert," Smith says. "We have lost a lot of our water rights over the last two decades, and that has hampered our ability to provide water to Los Angeles. We are going to have to live with this forever and be smart about it."
By William M. Welch, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — After three years of drought, Southern California is learning to go green by going brown.
Across the semi-arid region that is home to more than 20 million people, restrictions on water use in homes and businesses imposed this year have produced a 15% savings, regional water officials say.
Leading the way has been Los Angeles itself, where a more than 18% reduction means the city will have used less water in 2009 than it did 25 years ago, despite the addition of 1 million people in that time, according to the city's Department of Water and Power.
"The region has really responded," says Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
The biggest water conservation results have come from residential customers, rather than business or industry, city water figures show. The cost, for many residents, has been brown, dormant or dying grass lawns due to a stricter water diet.
"We restricted watering the lawns — that was the main saving measure," says David Freeman, general manager of the L.A. Department of Water and Power.
Since June, Los Angeles has permitted lawn sprinklers to run only on Mondays and Thursdays, for no more than 15 minutes a day, and never between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., when evaporation is greatest. The restrictions are enforced by more than a dozen "water police" who patrol for sprinkler scofflaws and follow tips by residents tattling on water-wasteful neighbors.
Those water cops have investigated 17,000 cases since June and issued more than 6,000 citations, and repeat offenders face fines of $100 to $600 and potentially having their water shut off, L.A. water department spokeswoman Jane Galbraith says. The city raised fees for customers whose monthly usage exceeds a fixed allotment based on historical use and family size.
The result has been a more than 23% reduction in water use by single-family homes here.
"Frankly, a lot of people pretty much gave up on keeping a green lawn all summer and kind of gave in to it," says Freeman, a former chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority. "There was no shortage of angry people."
Substitutes for grass
Tight water supplies have sent some searching for more environmentally friendly alternatives to green grass — such as no-water landscaping with gravel and cactus; low-water native plants such as rosemary, lilac and yuccas; and synthetic grass.
Daniel Bagdon and Rick von Schrader, partners in a ForeverLawn franchise, have been ripping out brown grass and installing their proprietary brand of artificial lawns at homes ranging from multimillion-dollar mansions in Malibu and Pacific Palisades to more modest houses and apartments. Their green synthetic turf has replaced natural grass in public parks, fields and dog runs and around commercial buildings.
Business has been up 20% to 25% this year, von Schrader says, much of it driven by customers tired of the cost and hassles of watering. "Half the time people say, 'I want to save on my water bill,' " Bagdon says. "It comes down to cost."
Los Angeles soon may start paying some of the cost of replacing grass lawns. Freeman said his department is proposing that the City Council adopt a "cash for grass" program next year in which residents who rip out grass lawns for one of the drought-friendly alternatives will receive cash or rebates. Freeman said they have not decided on an amount, but he expects the incentive will exceed $1 per square foot of grass removed.
The city has other restrictions. It is illegal to wash a car using a hose without a shut-off nozzle, to wash down hard-surfaced driveways and sidewalks, or to not repair a leaky pipe or fixture.
Restaurants are prohibited from serving glasses of water to customers unless they request it — even though drinking water accounts for 1% or less of water consumption, Freeman says. "It's to bring it to people's attention," he says. "Obviously it's not to save that quantity of water."
Not everyone's happy
Some say the restrictions go too far.
Greig Smith, an L.A. City Council member from the San Fernando Valley, calls the lawn watering limits "too draconian" and is proposing an ordinance allowing watering three days a week for a shorter time period, eight minutes.
He said he used that watering pattern on his own yard and kept it green — though he was in violation of the city's limits.
"My lawn is one of the greenest on the street. It worked," Smith says. "What prompted me was … neighborhood after neighborhood looking really run down with bushes, lawns and flowers dying."
Los Angeles and Southern California receive little rainfall most of the year and rely heavily on imports of water via aqueducts from the Owens Valley in eastern California, the Sierra Nevada through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and the Colorado River. Each of those sources is under pressure by drought, competing interests and in the case of the Delta, court-ordered restrictions on pumping for environmental reasons.
Each year has brought new limits on the amount of water available to Southern California from those sources. Even critics such as Smith acknowledge that forced conservation isn't ending anytime soon.
"We do live in a desert," Smith says. "We have lost a lot of our water rights over the last two decades, and that has hampered our ability to provide water to Los Angeles. We are going to have to live with this forever and be smart about it."
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Weekly Drought Monitor - as of December 15th, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Highway Barriers Stifle Sound, Sight, and Soot
FROM: NOAA
Highway barriers erected along roadways to block the sound and sight of traffic for the adjoining neighborhoods may also be reducing the amount of pollutants, such as soot from diesel exhaust, reaching area residents.
In a study by NOAA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, researchers released harmless “tracers” – gases that act as a stand-in for vehicle-related toxic pollutants such as carbon monoxide and heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds such as benzene -- so scientists can “trace” their movement through the air.
The study, the first to systematically and comprehensively investigate the role of atmospheric stability in real world conditions on the movement of pollutants near highway barriers, is now online and will appear in a January 2010 print edition of Atmospheric Environment.
“While the barriers block the noise and view of hundreds of vehicles whizzing by, we found that they also reduce high concentrations of pollutants from those vehicles by lifting and channeling them away from the adjoining areas, often a residential area,” said Dennis Finn, lead author and a research meteorologist at NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
A large body of research shows a variety of human health effects such as respiratory disease, cardiovascular illness, and cancer in individuals living or working near heavily trafficked roadways. It is difficult to measure accurately and isolate the effect of highway barriers on the transport and dispersion of the pollutants that cause these health effects in real-world environments with a wide range of atmospheric conditions.
Researchers were able to conduct tracer studies in unstable, neutral and stable atmospheric conditions in tightly controlled circumstances, to quantify the effects of roadside barriers on pollutant dispersion. Atmospheric stability is a measure of top-to-bottom mixing in the atmosphere. The atmosphere is stable when the coldest air is at ground level. When there is no significant difference between temperatures in the top and bottom layers, conditions are neutral. Like a pan of boiling water, an unstable atmosphere roils as warm air rises from ground level.
“We also found that the barriers tended to trap pollutants in the area of the roadway itself, especially at night in low wind speed conditions,” Finn said. “The amount of pollutants was much higher on roadway areas flanked by barriers than in areas without them.”
Highway barriers erected along roadways to block the sound and sight of traffic for the adjoining neighborhoods may also be reducing the amount of pollutants, such as soot from diesel exhaust, reaching area residents.
In a study by NOAA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, researchers released harmless “tracers” – gases that act as a stand-in for vehicle-related toxic pollutants such as carbon monoxide and heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds such as benzene -- so scientists can “trace” their movement through the air.
The study, the first to systematically and comprehensively investigate the role of atmospheric stability in real world conditions on the movement of pollutants near highway barriers, is now online and will appear in a January 2010 print edition of Atmospheric Environment.
“While the barriers block the noise and view of hundreds of vehicles whizzing by, we found that they also reduce high concentrations of pollutants from those vehicles by lifting and channeling them away from the adjoining areas, often a residential area,” said Dennis Finn, lead author and a research meteorologist at NOAA’s Air Resources Laboratory in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
A large body of research shows a variety of human health effects such as respiratory disease, cardiovascular illness, and cancer in individuals living or working near heavily trafficked roadways. It is difficult to measure accurately and isolate the effect of highway barriers on the transport and dispersion of the pollutants that cause these health effects in real-world environments with a wide range of atmospheric conditions.
Researchers were able to conduct tracer studies in unstable, neutral and stable atmospheric conditions in tightly controlled circumstances, to quantify the effects of roadside barriers on pollutant dispersion. Atmospheric stability is a measure of top-to-bottom mixing in the atmosphere. The atmosphere is stable when the coldest air is at ground level. When there is no significant difference between temperatures in the top and bottom layers, conditions are neutral. Like a pan of boiling water, an unstable atmosphere roils as warm air rises from ground level.
“We also found that the barriers tended to trap pollutants in the area of the roadway itself, especially at night in low wind speed conditions,” Finn said. “The amount of pollutants was much higher on roadway areas flanked by barriers than in areas without them.”
Monday, December 14, 2009
Winter, Nighttime Tornadoes Pose Greatest Risk, National Weather Service Warns
FROM: NOAA
Shrouded in darkness, nighttime tornadoes can be deadly, especially during the winter season when people are not accustomed to such severe weather. Given the dangers, forecasters with NOAA’s National Weather Service are increasing efforts to alert people of a potential threat in their area before they go to sleep.
The NOAA Storm Prediction Center, in conjunction with local National Weather Service offices across the country, is now issuing new public severe weather outlooks when forecast conditions are favorable for strong and violent tornadoes to occur overnight. When issued the outlook will be available online.
“Nighttime tornadoes pose a particular challenge since many people are asleep and not aware of watches and warnings,” said Joseph Schaefer, director of NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. “We added this extra outlook to highlight potential threats while people are still awake.”
Following the February 2008 Super Tuesday Tornado outbreak that caused 57 fatalities in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama, researchers found most people minimize the threat of tornadoes in winter because it is outside the “traditional” tornado season.
“We know tornadoes can occur anywhere and at any time under the right conditions,” Schaefer said. “Residents across the southern U.S. need to be extra vigilant in watching weather developments during this winter season.”
The strongest winter tornado activity in the United States this winter is expected to be over Florida and the Gulf Coast region due to the current El Niño, Schaefer warned.
Chances of a tornado increase along the Gulf Coast with the current El Niño, a large-scale weather pattern associated with warming of sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. As these waters warm, they force the development of a stronger-than-average jet stream emanating from the eastern Pacific and extending across the southern tier of the United States. The impact of this jet stream is most apparent from January through late March when it enhances severe thunderstorm and tornado potential over coastal states.
Nearly 80 percent of cool-season tornado deaths in Florida occur during El Niños, many after dark. This type of deadly nighttime tornado activity occurred as recently as February 2007 when an outbreak caused 21 fatalities and 76 injuries, and February 1998, when tornadoes killed 42 people and injured 259. Other recent deadly cold season tornado outbreaks have affected parts of Georgia, Texas and Mississippi during El Niño years.
Having a NOAA Weather Radio at your bedside is the best way to know when a tornado is on the way. These small units receive a special tone that activates the radio alarm before broadcasting emergency announcements, such as a tornado warning issued by NOAA’s National Weather Service. This feature is especially crucial when severe storms or other events occur at night when most people are sound asleep.
Shrouded in darkness, nighttime tornadoes can be deadly, especially during the winter season when people are not accustomed to such severe weather. Given the dangers, forecasters with NOAA’s National Weather Service are increasing efforts to alert people of a potential threat in their area before they go to sleep.
The NOAA Storm Prediction Center, in conjunction with local National Weather Service offices across the country, is now issuing new public severe weather outlooks when forecast conditions are favorable for strong and violent tornadoes to occur overnight. When issued the outlook will be available online.
“Nighttime tornadoes pose a particular challenge since many people are asleep and not aware of watches and warnings,” said Joseph Schaefer, director of NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. “We added this extra outlook to highlight potential threats while people are still awake.”
Following the February 2008 Super Tuesday Tornado outbreak that caused 57 fatalities in Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama, researchers found most people minimize the threat of tornadoes in winter because it is outside the “traditional” tornado season.
“We know tornadoes can occur anywhere and at any time under the right conditions,” Schaefer said. “Residents across the southern U.S. need to be extra vigilant in watching weather developments during this winter season.”
The strongest winter tornado activity in the United States this winter is expected to be over Florida and the Gulf Coast region due to the current El Niño, Schaefer warned.
Chances of a tornado increase along the Gulf Coast with the current El Niño, a large-scale weather pattern associated with warming of sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. As these waters warm, they force the development of a stronger-than-average jet stream emanating from the eastern Pacific and extending across the southern tier of the United States. The impact of this jet stream is most apparent from January through late March when it enhances severe thunderstorm and tornado potential over coastal states.
Nearly 80 percent of cool-season tornado deaths in Florida occur during El Niños, many after dark. This type of deadly nighttime tornado activity occurred as recently as February 2007 when an outbreak caused 21 fatalities and 76 injuries, and February 1998, when tornadoes killed 42 people and injured 259. Other recent deadly cold season tornado outbreaks have affected parts of Georgia, Texas and Mississippi during El Niño years.
Having a NOAA Weather Radio at your bedside is the best way to know when a tornado is on the way. These small units receive a special tone that activates the radio alarm before broadcasting emergency announcements, such as a tornado warning issued by NOAA’s National Weather Service. This feature is especially crucial when severe storms or other events occur at night when most people are sound asleep.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
What's in the water?
FROM: Los Angeles Times
Lots of stuff, according to the Environmental Working Group.
The public interest organization has created an online database of water quality test results from 45 states.
The group's analysis of utility information found that water agencies across the country have detected a total of more than 300 pollutants in supplies, more than half of which are not regulated by the government.
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set enforceable drinking water safety standards for only 114 of the 316 substances detected," the group says in a report released today.
The chemical pollutants that find their way into rivers and aquifers come from various sources, including farm runoff, pesticides, sewage and industrial chemicals. Some are naturally occurring.
The report ranks large utilities according to the quantity and average levels of contaminants, placing three California utilities in the bottom 10: The city of Riverside, the Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County, and San Diego.
Kevin Milligan, utilities assistant general manager for Riverside, said: “The bulk of the data they're reporting -- and all that is above [permitted] levels -- is in raw water" that had not been treated. "We have never in our history had a water quality violation.”
He added that the city has spent millions to treat groundwater supplies tainted by military and aerospace operations, as well as agriculture.
A spokesman for the Eastern Municipal Water District also said much of the water quality data from his agency was for untreated supplies. "We don’t feel there's anything in our water supply that we deliver to people that could cause any harm,” Peter Odencrans said.
With increasingly sophisticated testing technology, utilities are turning up chemicals for which there are no government standards.
“The big question that nobody has answered is what the health risk is, and how would we get it out of the water," Milligan said. "Until we understand those two, there's not a lot we can do."
The report's authors have some suggestions for the federal government: "It should establish new safety standards, set priorities for pollution prevention projects, and tell consumers about the full range of pollutants in their water."
The interactive database, covering 48,000 communities, can be accessed at the group's website, www.ewg.org.
Lots of stuff, according to the Environmental Working Group.
The public interest organization has created an online database of water quality test results from 45 states.
The group's analysis of utility information found that water agencies across the country have detected a total of more than 300 pollutants in supplies, more than half of which are not regulated by the government.
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set enforceable drinking water safety standards for only 114 of the 316 substances detected," the group says in a report released today.
The chemical pollutants that find their way into rivers and aquifers come from various sources, including farm runoff, pesticides, sewage and industrial chemicals. Some are naturally occurring.
The report ranks large utilities according to the quantity and average levels of contaminants, placing three California utilities in the bottom 10: The city of Riverside, the Eastern Municipal Water District in Riverside County, and San Diego.
Kevin Milligan, utilities assistant general manager for Riverside, said: “The bulk of the data they're reporting -- and all that is above [permitted] levels -- is in raw water" that had not been treated. "We have never in our history had a water quality violation.”
He added that the city has spent millions to treat groundwater supplies tainted by military and aerospace operations, as well as agriculture.
A spokesman for the Eastern Municipal Water District also said much of the water quality data from his agency was for untreated supplies. "We don’t feel there's anything in our water supply that we deliver to people that could cause any harm,” Peter Odencrans said.
With increasingly sophisticated testing technology, utilities are turning up chemicals for which there are no government standards.
“The big question that nobody has answered is what the health risk is, and how would we get it out of the water," Milligan said. "Until we understand those two, there's not a lot we can do."
The report's authors have some suggestions for the federal government: "It should establish new safety standards, set priorities for pollution prevention projects, and tell consumers about the full range of pollutants in their water."
The interactive database, covering 48,000 communities, can be accessed at the group's website, www.ewg.org.
Friday, December 11, 2009
NOAA: El Nino changes in Pacific getting stronger
FROM: USA Today
WASHINGTON (AP) — The El Nino climate phenomena has strengthened and is expected to last into spring, potentially affecting weather around the globe for the next few months, the government said Thursday.
El Nino is a periodic warming of the water in the tropical Pacific Ocean accompanied by changes in air pressure and winds that can influence weather worldwide.
Sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific were about 3 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in November, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
Computer models used to forecast climate do not all agree, but the agency said it seems likely the conditions will strengthen, or at least persist, through spring.
Potential impacts through February, NOAA said, include:
_ Above-average precipitation for the southern tier of the United States, with below average precipitation in the Pacific Northwest and the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys.
_ Below-average snowfall and above-average temperatures across the northern tier of states, except New England, and cooler than average temperatures in the Southeast.
_ Increased rainfall over the central tropical Pacific Ocean and a continuation of drier-than-average conditions over Indonesia.
_ Warming in the far eastern equatorial Pacific and increased rainfall in portions of Peru and Ecuador.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The El Nino climate phenomena has strengthened and is expected to last into spring, potentially affecting weather around the globe for the next few months, the government said Thursday.
El Nino is a periodic warming of the water in the tropical Pacific Ocean accompanied by changes in air pressure and winds that can influence weather worldwide.
Sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific were about 3 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in November, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
Computer models used to forecast climate do not all agree, but the agency said it seems likely the conditions will strengthen, or at least persist, through spring.
Potential impacts through February, NOAA said, include:
_ Above-average precipitation for the southern tier of the United States, with below average precipitation in the Pacific Northwest and the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys.
_ Below-average snowfall and above-average temperatures across the northern tier of states, except New England, and cooler than average temperatures in the Southeast.
_ Increased rainfall over the central tropical Pacific Ocean and a continuation of drier-than-average conditions over Indonesia.
_ Warming in the far eastern equatorial Pacific and increased rainfall in portions of Peru and Ecuador.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Weekly Drought Monitor - as of December 8th, 2009
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
NOAA: 2009 Global Temperatures Well Above Average; Slightly Above-Average for U.S.
FROM: NOAA
Global surface temperatures for 2009 will be well above the long-term average, while the annual temperature for the contiguous United States will likely be above the long-term average, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The analysis is based on global records, which began in 1880 and U.S. records beginning in 1895. The NCDC analysis is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides.
Global Temperature and Precipitation Highlights:
Global land and ocean annual surface temperatures through October are the fifth warmest on record, at 1.01 degrees F above the long-term average.
NOAA scientists project 2009 will be one of the 10 warmest years of the global surface temperature record, and likely finish as the fourth, fifth or sixth warmest year on record.
The 2000 – 2009 decade will be the warmest on record, with its average global surface temperature about 0.96 degree F above the 20th century average. This will easily surpass the 1990s value of 0.65 degree F.
Ocean surface temperatures (through October) were the sixth warmest on record, at 0.85 degree F above the 20th century average.
Land surface temperatures through October were the fifth warmest on record, at 1.44 degree F above the 20th century average.
Arctic sea ice extent reached its third smallest annual minimum on record behind 2007 and 2008. The past five years have produced the lowest sea ice extents on record.
U.S. Temperature and Precipitation Highlights:
The average annual temperature for the contiguous United States is projected to be above normal. Precipitation across the contiguous United States in 2009 will be above the long-term average.
Winter (December-February) 2008-09 temperatures were near normal overall for the contiguous United States. Texas had its driest winter on record, while North Dakota had its wettest.
Springtime (March-May) temperatures for the nation were above normal, with only four states (Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Arkansas) cooler than normal. Georgia experienced its second wettest spring and the Southeast climate region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia) as a whole had its fifth wettest such period.
The average summer (June-August) temperature in the contiguous United States was below the long-term average for the first time since 2004. Only the Northwest averaged above normal temperature readings during the period.
Autumn (September-November) was a season of extremes for the nation. Nevada and California experienced record warmth in September. October was abnormally cool for the vast majority of the nation, while November brought substantially warmer-than-normal conditions.
Other Highlights:
The Atlantic hurricane season had below average activity, with nine named storms, three of them hurricanes.
A major winter storm in late March established new 24-hour snowfall records for three states: Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
There were 1,110 preliminary tornado reports across the United States through November, making 2009 likely to be the sixth-quietest tornado year since 1990.
A fast start to the U.S. wildfire season slowed by mid-year. The nationwide acreage burned by wildfire declined to below average by year’s end. The annual number of fires remained slightly above average.
NOAA’s preliminary reports, which assess the current state of the climate, are released soon after the end of each month. These analyses are based on preliminary data, which are subject to revision. Additional quality control is applied to the data when late reports are received several weeks after the end of the month and as increased scientific methods improve NOAA’s processing algorithms.
Scientists, researchers, and leaders in government and industry use NOAA’s monthly reports to help track trends and other changes in the world's climate. This climate service has a wide range of practical uses, from helping farmers know what and when to plant, to guiding resource managers with critical decisions about water, energy and other vital assets.
Global surface temperatures for 2009 will be well above the long-term average, while the annual temperature for the contiguous United States will likely be above the long-term average, according to a preliminary analysis by NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. The analysis is based on global records, which began in 1880 and U.S. records beginning in 1895. The NCDC analysis is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides.
Global Temperature and Precipitation Highlights:
Global land and ocean annual surface temperatures through October are the fifth warmest on record, at 1.01 degrees F above the long-term average.
NOAA scientists project 2009 will be one of the 10 warmest years of the global surface temperature record, and likely finish as the fourth, fifth or sixth warmest year on record.
The 2000 – 2009 decade will be the warmest on record, with its average global surface temperature about 0.96 degree F above the 20th century average. This will easily surpass the 1990s value of 0.65 degree F.
Ocean surface temperatures (through October) were the sixth warmest on record, at 0.85 degree F above the 20th century average.
Land surface temperatures through October were the fifth warmest on record, at 1.44 degree F above the 20th century average.
Arctic sea ice extent reached its third smallest annual minimum on record behind 2007 and 2008. The past five years have produced the lowest sea ice extents on record.
U.S. Temperature and Precipitation Highlights:
The average annual temperature for the contiguous United States is projected to be above normal. Precipitation across the contiguous United States in 2009 will be above the long-term average.
Winter (December-February) 2008-09 temperatures were near normal overall for the contiguous United States. Texas had its driest winter on record, while North Dakota had its wettest.
Springtime (March-May) temperatures for the nation were above normal, with only four states (Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Arkansas) cooler than normal. Georgia experienced its second wettest spring and the Southeast climate region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia) as a whole had its fifth wettest such period.
The average summer (June-August) temperature in the contiguous United States was below the long-term average for the first time since 2004. Only the Northwest averaged above normal temperature readings during the period.
Autumn (September-November) was a season of extremes for the nation. Nevada and California experienced record warmth in September. October was abnormally cool for the vast majority of the nation, while November brought substantially warmer-than-normal conditions.
Other Highlights:
The Atlantic hurricane season had below average activity, with nine named storms, three of them hurricanes.
A major winter storm in late March established new 24-hour snowfall records for three states: Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
There were 1,110 preliminary tornado reports across the United States through November, making 2009 likely to be the sixth-quietest tornado year since 1990.
A fast start to the U.S. wildfire season slowed by mid-year. The nationwide acreage burned by wildfire declined to below average by year’s end. The annual number of fires remained slightly above average.
NOAA’s preliminary reports, which assess the current state of the climate, are released soon after the end of each month. These analyses are based on preliminary data, which are subject to revision. Additional quality control is applied to the data when late reports are received several weeks after the end of the month and as increased scientific methods improve NOAA’s processing algorithms.
Scientists, researchers, and leaders in government and industry use NOAA’s monthly reports to help track trends and other changes in the world's climate. This climate service has a wide range of practical uses, from helping farmers know what and when to plant, to guiding resource managers with critical decisions about water, energy and other vital assets.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Adapt to climate change or die, experts warn
FROM: San Francisco Chronicle
Seth Borenstein, Associated Press
With the world losing the battle against global warming so far, experts are warning that humans need to follow nature's example: Adapt or die.
That means elevating buildings, making taller and stronger dams and seawalls, rerouting water systems, restricting certain developments, changing farming practices and ultimately moving people, plants and animals out of harm's way.
Adapting to rising seas and higher temperatures is expected to be a big topic at the U.N. climate-change talks in Copenhagen next week, along with the projected cost - hundreds of billions of dollars, much of it going to countries that cannot afford it.
That adaptation will be a major focus is remarkable in itself. Until the past couple of years, experts avoided talking about adjusting to global warming for fear of sounding fatalistic or causing countries to back off efforts to reduce emissions.
"It's something that's been neglected, hasn't been talked about and it's something the world will have to do," said Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. "Adaptation is going to be absolutely crucial for some societies."
Some biologists point to how nature has handled the changing climate. The rare Adonis blue butterfly of Britain looked as if it was going to disappear because it couldn't fly far and global warming was making its habitat unbearable. To biologists' surprise, it evolved longer thoraxes and wings, allowing it to fly farther to cooler locales.
"Society needs to be changing as much as wildlife is changing," said Texas A&M biologist Camille Parmesan, an expert on how species change with global warming.
One difficulty is that climate change is happening rapidly.
"Adaptation will be particularly challenging because the rate of change is escalating and is moving outside the range to which society has adapted in the past" when more natural climate changes happened, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco, a marine biologist, told Congress Wednesday.
Cities, states and countries are scrambling to adapt or are at least talking about it and setting aside money for it. Some examples:
-- England is strengthening the Thames River flood control barrier at a cost of around $500 million.
-- The Netherlands is making its crucial flood control system stronger.
-- California is redesigning the gates that move water around the agriculturally vital Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta so that they can work when the sea level rises dramatically there.
-- Engineers are installing "thermal siphons" along the oil pipeline in Alaska, which is built on permafrost that is thawing, to draw heat away from the ground.
-- Researchers are uprooting moisture-loving trees along British Columbia's coastal rain forests and dropping their seedlings in the dry ponderosa pine forests of Idaho, where they are more likely to survive.
-- Desperately poor Bangladesh is spending more than $50 million on adaptation. It is trying to fend off the sea with flood control and buildings on stilts.
Seth Borenstein, Associated Press
With the world losing the battle against global warming so far, experts are warning that humans need to follow nature's example: Adapt or die.
That means elevating buildings, making taller and stronger dams and seawalls, rerouting water systems, restricting certain developments, changing farming practices and ultimately moving people, plants and animals out of harm's way.
Adapting to rising seas and higher temperatures is expected to be a big topic at the U.N. climate-change talks in Copenhagen next week, along with the projected cost - hundreds of billions of dollars, much of it going to countries that cannot afford it.
That adaptation will be a major focus is remarkable in itself. Until the past couple of years, experts avoided talking about adjusting to global warming for fear of sounding fatalistic or causing countries to back off efforts to reduce emissions.
"It's something that's been neglected, hasn't been talked about and it's something the world will have to do," said Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. "Adaptation is going to be absolutely crucial for some societies."
Some biologists point to how nature has handled the changing climate. The rare Adonis blue butterfly of Britain looked as if it was going to disappear because it couldn't fly far and global warming was making its habitat unbearable. To biologists' surprise, it evolved longer thoraxes and wings, allowing it to fly farther to cooler locales.
"Society needs to be changing as much as wildlife is changing," said Texas A&M biologist Camille Parmesan, an expert on how species change with global warming.
One difficulty is that climate change is happening rapidly.
"Adaptation will be particularly challenging because the rate of change is escalating and is moving outside the range to which society has adapted in the past" when more natural climate changes happened, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief Jane Lubchenco, a marine biologist, told Congress Wednesday.
Cities, states and countries are scrambling to adapt or are at least talking about it and setting aside money for it. Some examples:
-- England is strengthening the Thames River flood control barrier at a cost of around $500 million.
-- The Netherlands is making its crucial flood control system stronger.
-- California is redesigning the gates that move water around the agriculturally vital Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta so that they can work when the sea level rises dramatically there.
-- Engineers are installing "thermal siphons" along the oil pipeline in Alaska, which is built on permafrost that is thawing, to draw heat away from the ground.
-- Researchers are uprooting moisture-loving trees along British Columbia's coastal rain forests and dropping their seedlings in the dry ponderosa pine forests of Idaho, where they are more likely to survive.
-- Desperately poor Bangladesh is spending more than $50 million on adaptation. It is trying to fend off the sea with flood control and buildings on stilts.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Graywater: UCLA gives Southern California a mixed grade
FROM: Los Angeles Times
UCLA issued its Southern California Environmental Report Card last week. Its grade for graywater (the wastewater generated from showers, baths, sinks and washing machines): B+ overall, "for moving forward to address the need to increase California’s water portfolio, for recognizing the potential of graywater recycling and reuse... and for easing graywater permitting requirements," the report stated.
But that good overall grade was tempered with a B- "for providing insufficient public information and guidance regarding graywater recycling technologies and regulations."
With California heading toward a fourth year of drought, the state in August implemented emergency adoption of a revised graywater code, which allowed homeowners to install clothes washers or other single-fixture residential graywater systems in their homes without a construction permit as long as they followed 12 guidelines.
While graywater activists praised the state's embrace of a new graywater code, which reversed a 17-year-old policy that required permits and extensive filtering apparatus, they say education is the missing link.
"In the past, agencies were not able to provide meaningful education because of the codes," said Laura Allen, founding member of Graywater Action, an activist group in Oakland. "They just said, 'Here's the code,' and no one could follow it. Now there's very little education coming from the state level of water agencies. Currently, most of the education is from the grass-roots level."
In Southern California, about 54% of water consumption is attributed to urban residential use. Of the water used in a typical SoCal single-family home, 38% is for outdoor irrigation, 62% is for indoor use, according to the state Department of Water Resources' California Water Plan Update. Recapturing the graywater produced inside a home could, in many cases, provide all the water necessary for outside plantings.
The UCLA report, titled "Graywater: A Potential Source of Water," estimated that if 10% of Southern Californians implemented graywater systems for their laundry, showers, dishwashers and faucets, "the potable water savings would be equivalent to, or larger than, the capacity of a modern, large seawater desalination plant such as those proposed for California."
The likelihood of that happening is, for now, slim, due not only to a lack of public education but an impending revision to the recently revised code. The agency responsible for revising the state's graywater code, the Department of Housing and Community Development, is scaling back the graywater code that is in effect under the emergency plan, which by law holds for 180 days and is due to expire Feb. 4.
According to HCD spokesman Doug Hensel, the new graywater code was facing opposition from environmental health agencies and city and county inspectors, who feared possible exposure to pathogenic bacteria and other negative health ramifications from people cutting their drain waste and vent systems to reuse the graywater from their sinks, bathtubs and showers without any government oversight. The revised graywater code is likely to allow only clothes-washer systems, which can be installed without making any cuts to existing plumbing and can be done without first obtaining a construction permit.
-- Susan Carpenter
UCLA issued its Southern California Environmental Report Card last week. Its grade for graywater (the wastewater generated from showers, baths, sinks and washing machines): B+ overall, "for moving forward to address the need to increase California’s water portfolio, for recognizing the potential of graywater recycling and reuse... and for easing graywater permitting requirements," the report stated.
But that good overall grade was tempered with a B- "for providing insufficient public information and guidance regarding graywater recycling technologies and regulations."
With California heading toward a fourth year of drought, the state in August implemented emergency adoption of a revised graywater code, which allowed homeowners to install clothes washers or other single-fixture residential graywater systems in their homes without a construction permit as long as they followed 12 guidelines.
While graywater activists praised the state's embrace of a new graywater code, which reversed a 17-year-old policy that required permits and extensive filtering apparatus, they say education is the missing link.
"In the past, agencies were not able to provide meaningful education because of the codes," said Laura Allen, founding member of Graywater Action, an activist group in Oakland. "They just said, 'Here's the code,' and no one could follow it. Now there's very little education coming from the state level of water agencies. Currently, most of the education is from the grass-roots level."
In Southern California, about 54% of water consumption is attributed to urban residential use. Of the water used in a typical SoCal single-family home, 38% is for outdoor irrigation, 62% is for indoor use, according to the state Department of Water Resources' California Water Plan Update. Recapturing the graywater produced inside a home could, in many cases, provide all the water necessary for outside plantings.
The UCLA report, titled "Graywater: A Potential Source of Water," estimated that if 10% of Southern Californians implemented graywater systems for their laundry, showers, dishwashers and faucets, "the potable water savings would be equivalent to, or larger than, the capacity of a modern, large seawater desalination plant such as those proposed for California."
The likelihood of that happening is, for now, slim, due not only to a lack of public education but an impending revision to the recently revised code. The agency responsible for revising the state's graywater code, the Department of Housing and Community Development, is scaling back the graywater code that is in effect under the emergency plan, which by law holds for 180 days and is due to expire Feb. 4.
According to HCD spokesman Doug Hensel, the new graywater code was facing opposition from environmental health agencies and city and county inspectors, who feared possible exposure to pathogenic bacteria and other negative health ramifications from people cutting their drain waste and vent systems to reuse the graywater from their sinks, bathtubs and showers without any government oversight. The revised graywater code is likely to allow only clothes-washer systems, which can be installed without making any cuts to existing plumbing and can be done without first obtaining a construction permit.
-- Susan Carpenter
Sunday, December 06, 2009
California utilities push for solar, wind and carbon-capture projects
FROM: Los Angeles Times
California regulators went out of this world today and gave the go-ahead to a power-purchase agreement involving the nation’s first solar power plant in space.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the state’s largest utility, will proceed with a 15-year contract with Manhattan Beach start-up Solaren Corp., after receiving approval from the California Public Utilities Commission.
The project, which is expected to go live in 2016, will use solar cells from Solaren on orbiting satellites to convert energy from the sun into radio-frequency waves. The waves will be transmitted to a receiving station near Fresno and reverted back into electricity.
The project should produce 1,700 gigawatt-hours of energy each year, according to the commission. The Japanese government said this summer that it intends to pursue a similar space-based solar program.
California hopes that utilities will pull 20% of their power from renewable sources by 2010. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a directive in September pushing for a 33% by 2020 goal.
San Francisco-based PG&E was also busy today signing a contract to buy and operate its first wind-energy project.
Portland, Ore.-based Iberdrola Renewables Inc., the U.S. branch of Iberdrola SA in Spain, will develop and build the Manzana Wind Project for PG&E. The project, which will be spread across 7,000 acres in the Tehachapi region of eastern Kern County, will cost slightly more than $900 million, the utility said.
The facility will produce up to 246 megawatts, or 670 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to power roughly 100,000 average California homes. Manzana could go online as early as December 2011 if the project is approved by the PUC.
To finance the effort, customers could see their rates increase 1.1% in 2012 compared with 2009 rates, or an average increase of 25 cents each month, the utility said.
Iberdrola has 3,500 megawatts from operating projects in the U.S., as well as four facilities under construction, said Jan Johnson, a spokeswoman with the company.
Also today, the California Public Utilities Commission gave approval for Edison International to spend up to $30 million to co-fund a feasibility study of a carbon-capture and storage plant.
Rosemead-based Edison, the parent of the Southern California Edison utility, will commit as much as $17 million to the first phase of the study, which will explore the permitting, engineering and economics of the Hydrogen Energy California (HECA) project.
The project could become a 250-megawatt power station in Kern County that would supply the state with low-carbon, hydrogen-produced electricity. The hydrogen would come from gasifying resources such as petroleum coke from oil refineries, potentially lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
If deemed necessary, Edison could also pour up to $13 million of funding into a second phase of research, according to regulators. So far, the U.S. Department of Energy has spent $308 million supporting the HECA project.
-- Tiffany Hsu
California regulators went out of this world today and gave the go-ahead to a power-purchase agreement involving the nation’s first solar power plant in space.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co., the state’s largest utility, will proceed with a 15-year contract with Manhattan Beach start-up Solaren Corp., after receiving approval from the California Public Utilities Commission.
The project, which is expected to go live in 2016, will use solar cells from Solaren on orbiting satellites to convert energy from the sun into radio-frequency waves. The waves will be transmitted to a receiving station near Fresno and reverted back into electricity.
The project should produce 1,700 gigawatt-hours of energy each year, according to the commission. The Japanese government said this summer that it intends to pursue a similar space-based solar program.
California hopes that utilities will pull 20% of their power from renewable sources by 2010. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a directive in September pushing for a 33% by 2020 goal.
San Francisco-based PG&E was also busy today signing a contract to buy and operate its first wind-energy project.
Portland, Ore.-based Iberdrola Renewables Inc., the U.S. branch of Iberdrola SA in Spain, will develop and build the Manzana Wind Project for PG&E. The project, which will be spread across 7,000 acres in the Tehachapi region of eastern Kern County, will cost slightly more than $900 million, the utility said.
The facility will produce up to 246 megawatts, or 670 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to power roughly 100,000 average California homes. Manzana could go online as early as December 2011 if the project is approved by the PUC.
To finance the effort, customers could see their rates increase 1.1% in 2012 compared with 2009 rates, or an average increase of 25 cents each month, the utility said.
Iberdrola has 3,500 megawatts from operating projects in the U.S., as well as four facilities under construction, said Jan Johnson, a spokeswoman with the company.
Also today, the California Public Utilities Commission gave approval for Edison International to spend up to $30 million to co-fund a feasibility study of a carbon-capture and storage plant.
Rosemead-based Edison, the parent of the Southern California Edison utility, will commit as much as $17 million to the first phase of the study, which will explore the permitting, engineering and economics of the Hydrogen Energy California (HECA) project.
The project could become a 250-megawatt power station in Kern County that would supply the state with low-carbon, hydrogen-produced electricity. The hydrogen would come from gasifying resources such as petroleum coke from oil refineries, potentially lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
If deemed necessary, Edison could also pour up to $13 million of funding into a second phase of research, according to regulators. So far, the U.S. Department of Energy has spent $308 million supporting the HECA project.
-- Tiffany Hsu
Saturday, December 05, 2009
North American 2008 Cooling Attributed to Natural Causes
FROM: NOAA
Cooler North American temperatures in 2008 resulted from a strong natural effect, and the overall warming trend that has been observed since 1970 is likely to resume, according to university and NOAA scientists.
“Our work shows that there can be cold periods, but that does not mean the end of global warming. The recent coolness was caused by transitory natural factors that temporarily masked the human-caused signal,” said Judith Perlwitz, lead author of the study and a researcher with the Cooperative Institute for Research Environmental Sciences, and NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, both in Boulder, Colo. The paper will be published Dec. 8 in Geophysical Research Letters.
Using computer-generated models as well as observations, the team analyzed causes for climate variations in the recent decades. Special emphasis was given to the reasons for North American coolness in 2008. The research is an exercise in climate attribution, a scientific process for identifying the sources of observed climate and weather patterns. Climate attribution is a vital part of NOAA’s climate services.
“We found that North American coolness resulted from a strong bout of naturally caused cooling in the tropical and northeastern Pacific sea surface temperatures,” said Martin Hoerling, a NOAA meteorologist and co-author. “This illustrates how regional patterns can vary independent of the overall global average. In 2008, global land temperatures were the sixth warmest on record, whereas it was the coldest year in North America since 1996.”
The analysis included historical data and climate model simulations that were conducted in the U.S. and internationally. The science team discerned both natural and human-caused influences for 2008.
“North American temperatures would have been considerably colder in 2008 had there been no human-induced warming influence present,” Perlwitz said.
The scientists conclude that the North American temperatures are likely to resume increasing again, and do not see the recent coolness as an emerging downward trend.
“Our work shows the importance of the role of natural climate variability in temporarily masking or enhancing human-induced climate change. Through diagnosis, we ensure that natural changes, when occurring, are not misunderstood to mean that climate change is either not happening or is happening more intensely than the expected human influence,” said Arun Kumar, a NOAA meteorologist and co-author.
Authors of A strong bout of natural cooling in 2008 are Judith Perlwitz, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, Colo., and NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, Colo.; Martin Hoerling, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, Colo.; Jon Eischeid and Taiyi Xu, both of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, Colo., and NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, Colo.; and Arun Kumar, NOAA Climate Prediction Center, Camp Springs, Md.
The work was funded by the NOAA Climate Program Office.
Cooler North American temperatures in 2008 resulted from a strong natural effect, and the overall warming trend that has been observed since 1970 is likely to resume, according to university and NOAA scientists.
“Our work shows that there can be cold periods, but that does not mean the end of global warming. The recent coolness was caused by transitory natural factors that temporarily masked the human-caused signal,” said Judith Perlwitz, lead author of the study and a researcher with the Cooperative Institute for Research Environmental Sciences, and NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, both in Boulder, Colo. The paper will be published Dec. 8 in Geophysical Research Letters.
Using computer-generated models as well as observations, the team analyzed causes for climate variations in the recent decades. Special emphasis was given to the reasons for North American coolness in 2008. The research is an exercise in climate attribution, a scientific process for identifying the sources of observed climate and weather patterns. Climate attribution is a vital part of NOAA’s climate services.
“We found that North American coolness resulted from a strong bout of naturally caused cooling in the tropical and northeastern Pacific sea surface temperatures,” said Martin Hoerling, a NOAA meteorologist and co-author. “This illustrates how regional patterns can vary independent of the overall global average. In 2008, global land temperatures were the sixth warmest on record, whereas it was the coldest year in North America since 1996.”
The analysis included historical data and climate model simulations that were conducted in the U.S. and internationally. The science team discerned both natural and human-caused influences for 2008.
“North American temperatures would have been considerably colder in 2008 had there been no human-induced warming influence present,” Perlwitz said.
The scientists conclude that the North American temperatures are likely to resume increasing again, and do not see the recent coolness as an emerging downward trend.
“Our work shows the importance of the role of natural climate variability in temporarily masking or enhancing human-induced climate change. Through diagnosis, we ensure that natural changes, when occurring, are not misunderstood to mean that climate change is either not happening or is happening more intensely than the expected human influence,” said Arun Kumar, a NOAA meteorologist and co-author.
Authors of A strong bout of natural cooling in 2008 are Judith Perlwitz, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, Colo., and NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, Colo.; Martin Hoerling, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, Colo.; Jon Eischeid and Taiyi Xu, both of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, Boulder, Colo., and NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, Colo.; and Arun Kumar, NOAA Climate Prediction Center, Camp Springs, Md.
The work was funded by the NOAA Climate Program Office.
Friday, December 04, 2009
Weekly Drought Monitor - as of December 1st, 2009
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Google Earth explores climate risks to California
FROM: USA Today
SACRAMENTO (AP) — Google Inc. is launching a new feature to let Californians see the results of climate change.
Google unveiled the new interactive tool in San Francisco on Wednesday as part of a climate change press conference by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The state is partnering with Google on the new venture.
Internet users can view interactive maps showing such things as the shrinking snow pack along the Sierra Nevada and how a rise in sea level could submerge parts of San Francisco.
SACRAMENTO (AP) — Google Inc. is launching a new feature to let Californians see the results of climate change.
Google unveiled the new interactive tool in San Francisco on Wednesday as part of a climate change press conference by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The state is partnering with Google on the new venture.
Internet users can view interactive maps showing such things as the shrinking snow pack along the Sierra Nevada and how a rise in sea level could submerge parts of San Francisco.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Cumulonimbus/Cumulus/Stratocumulus clouds
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Alto Lenticular clouds
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