Adam Sterry's presentation on Wildlife Corridors 9/23/11

Agencies seek funding for wildlife corridors
The purpose of this was to examine priorities within the class by comparing efforts to protect wildlife to cost and other pressing issues that should be dealt with.

Questions:
Important issue compared to other local issues that require government attention?  What is the priority of the issue among other efforts to protect wildlife?  Any downsides?  Guess the cost… (more than 100k?  1mil?)

Does the cost (9.4 million) change any opinions?  Is this effort worth it, or not? Does this change anyone's priorities?
Will the applications for funding be granted to build these corridors?

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/sep/10/agencies-seek-funding-for-wildlife-corridor/

http://www.colabvc.org/2011/01/17/wildlife-corridor-conservation-act-introduced/

http://www.santacruzhub.org/pp/roadkill/stats.htm

Solar Plans on Altamont Pass by Will Gates!

Solar Plans on Altamont Pass

The purpose of my news report was to educate the class about plans to build a 1400-2000 solar plant, on Altamont Pass, located on Alameda county's eastern border, and the environmentalist opposition to these plans.

Questions for discussion:

It is said that the plant could power more than 2,000 homes and could begin pumping power into the grid by next year. Do you think the economical benefits of this plant outweigh the potential environmental risks?

What if you knew that this was a very unique location with abundant sunshine, flat terrain, and access to a nearby Pacific Gas and Electric Co. substation make it optimal for use by a solar plant and more efficient than most other locations in the area. Would that change your answer?

Additional Information:

The area near the Alameda-San Joaquin County line provides habitat for federally protected species including the threatened California red-legged frog, the California tiger salamander and the endangered San Joaquin kit fox, and according to the Ohlone Audubon Society, solar panels blanketing the ground could affect the hunting behavior of hawks, eagles, owls and kestrels, driving them toward Altamont Pass’ lethal wind turbines.

Many environmentalists are against the use of arable lands for solar panels without first exhausting opportunities in urban areas. Dick Schneider says “It’s premature to go outside of the developed footprint to develop solar rays.“ and "The county should increase its efforts to encourage solar energy development on already developed lands."

Article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/10/MNHA1KS01E.DTL

Image:

http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2011/09/09/mn-solar10_PH1_0504094752_part6.jpg

Andrew Miller's News Report- 9/15/11

CarbFix Turns CO2 to Limestone

• My purpose was to present the CarbFix project, in which CO2 and basalt rock are converted to limestone, as an example of one of the many "temporary" fixes science offers for the climate crisis. I wanted to offer it as an entry point to discussion over whether temporary fixes were sufficient for the scientific community to tackle now, or whether we need to be looking toward changes in our consumption to preserve the environment.

Questions:

•  Does it make more sense in our current environmental context to look for temporary solutions that allow us to keep producing and using energy at a high rate or is it more important to devote our energy to permanent, sustainable measures now?
• In a more general sense, do you think humans/science can resolve the environmental crisis (energy or otherwise) while allowing us to continue using extreme amounts of resources?
• What do you think it will take to get people to really push for long-term lifestyle and policy change?
•  The progress so far has cost $10 Million and no systems have even been put into operation. Does this change your view on the project?

For more information: http://www.or.is/English/Projects/CarbFix/

Resources:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/11/MNSF1KRUQM.DTL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfYxjp_vQNo

Zero Waste Home

1. Lizzy Elliott, presented on Sept 9th

2. Zero Waste Home

Purpose: Make the class aware a local Mill Valley that produces zero waste. This lifestyle is not only environmentally friendly, but also economically friendly. They feel that they are living a very fulfilling yet simple lifestyle. The Johnsons were featured in an article in Sunset magazine that got a lot of positive and negative feedback.

Discussion Questions:

- Do you think the Johnson family’s Zero Waste Lifestyle is too extreme? Where do you draw the line? How do you feel about the fact that the Johnsons only have one box of memories, don’t have any art or photographs or “home-y” stuff?

- If you were Bea, would you think this is a healthy lifestyle in which to raise your kids? Or is it an environmentally friendly idealistic bubble?

- Do you think it’s possible to live like this?

- After learning about this lifestyle, what kinds of actual changes do you think you could make in your life? Or are you just more conscious of your waste?

http://www.sunset.com/home/natural-home/zero-waste-home-0111-00418000069984/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/42643361#42643361

http://zerowastehome.blogspot.com/

Tessa Wardle's News Report

1) Tessa Wardle/ September 6, 2011

2) Plastic Footprint- The Plastic Disclosure Project

The purpose of my presentation was to get the class to realize how important it is to be careful about plastic use, and let them know about the Plastic Disclosure Project.

The questions I asked the class were: Do you think this part of the project will be successful? Do you think the companies will change the amount of plastic they use just because they are aware of it and will receive recognition? Do you think they should send it to households as well? / Would it raise people’s awareness if they got a survey like this in the mail? And, is this an important issue to address in light of all the other pressing issues we are faced with today?


From my additional research, I learned that plastic does not disintegrate over time, so the plastic we are using today will stay in the environment for centuries. I also found out that the Plastic Disclosure Project has yet to be formally introduced this month, and it was only first announced in 2010. 





Sources I used for this presentation: 


Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/business/energy-environment/raising-awareness-of-plastic-waste.html?_r=2&ref=environment


PDP website: http://www.plasticdisclosure.org/ 

 

Rachel Barlow's News Report

1) Rachel Barlow/August 31, 2011

2) This article, titled "Fishing Gear is Altered to Ease Collateral Costs to Marine Life", talked about new fishing technologies that are being developed in an attempt to lower the extremely high number of marine-inhabitants deaths that occur each year due to bycatch. Some of the technologies discussed included noise-emitting devices attached to fishing nets and hooks that are strong enough to trap their intended prey but break when bitten by larger fish. Researchers have also observed that sharks tend to avoid certain rare earth metals, which could prove to be beneficial in helping to steer them away from getting caught unnecessarily. Some fisherman, however, are skeptical about having to adopt these new methods because they are somewhat inconvenient as well as expensive.

The purpose of my presentation was to make the class aware of the impact bycatch has on our ocean's ecosystems and to explore some possible solutions to this problem.

Discussion Questions:
a. How does the issue of bycatch relate to the concept of "tragedy of the commons"?
b. Compared to other environmental issues, should bycatch prevention be considered high-priority?
c. Who should be economically responsible for the new fishing technologies discussed in the article--conversationalists or fishermen? How can they facilitate a more cooperative relationship?

Additional Research: I looked at this article to get a larger picture of the issue and for relevant statistics.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/globalmarkets/fishing/whatwearedoing.html

Link to original news article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/23/science/23catch.html?pagewanted=all

Erin's News Report

1) Erin Van Gessel, presented 9/2/11
2) The title of my topic was "For Protesters, Keystone Pipeline is Line in Tar Sand." The message was that in the past few weeks, hundreds of protesters have been at the White House, arguing against an oil pipeline which might be built from Canada to Texas. The 1,700 mile long pipeline would run through the Mid-West, carrying oil from tar sands in Alberta, Canada. However, obtaining the oil from tar sands requires a lot of financing in addition to a lot of carbon emissions. The process of extracting the oil and turning it into liquid form from the tar sands would be the equivalent of building seven new coal-burning power plants. The big question that arises from the pipeline debate is what President Obama will decide. The State Department has already "okayed" the process, leaving it up to the President to decide by the end of the year. Protestors claim that his decision will point to whether or not the country is moving in the direction of clean energy, or staying on the path of burning fossil fuels. The class seemed to agree that this decision isn't the most notable or important in President Obama's midst. We also acknowledged the economic benefits of the pipeline for the U.S. and Canada.
I asked the class
1. How does our product awareness (in this case knowing the history and controversy of the oil) affect the world's consumer market? --if this was happening in the Middle East would we be protesting or purchasing? 
2. If Obama chooses to allow the construction and use of the pipeline does that mean he and his administration are choosing to ignore the environment?
3. Does the U.S., with one of the world's largest carbon footprints, have an obligation to reject this idea and search for cleaner technology?

The original article/news report:  http://www.npr.org/2011/09/01/140117187/for-protesters-keystone-pipeline-is-line-in-tar-sand
Another perspective--that of Native Americans whose land would be obstructed by the pipeline: http://edmortimer.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/4852/

Tar Sands in Alberta, Canada

Anna Kelly's News Report!

Presentation on 8/29/11
"Redwood vs. Red Wine" from the article "A Tale of Grape vs. Redwood" by Louis Sahagun and P.J. Huffstutter from the Los Angeles Times

The purpose of my presentation was to discuss the conflict that is currently being discussed between vintners and conservationists about a 2,000 acre property on the Sonoma Coast. This section of land is particularly excellent for growing grapes that produce Pinot Noir. However, changing the soil chemistry of would mean that the redwood forests would never be able to exist in this area again. The conservationists also argue that the vineyards would destroy ecosystems within the environment and produce some pollution in the water sources for surrounding towns. This seems to turn into a debate between economic and conservational interests.

I did some further research, and found that the vineyards would harm the salmon population in nearby areas. This is according to the California department of fish and game. It has an effect on the ecosystems and habitats as well, according to the book "The Science of Conservation Planning," which says that animals have a better chance of survival if their habitat exists in one large area rather than in smaller, more spread apart areas.

Discussion Questions:
1. What should take priority- the environment or the economy?
2. The clearing of the land also has an effect on the people living near the environment in the form of water pollution. Does this change our perspective?
3. Does it make a difference how much land there is that is this fertile and prime for growing pinot noir?

Sources:
1. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/25/local/la-me-0825-redwoods-vineyards-20110825
2. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fish/Resources/Coho/SAL_CohoRecoveryRpt.asp
3. "The Science of Conservation Planning" by Reed F. Noss, Michael O'Connell and Dennis D. Murphy