March 4th, 2010 by Elise Hugus
A question from Ric Gerace, Alma Road, Falmouth:
High tide flooding covers Menauhant Road
I would like to know why, in all the discussion on the half-billion dollar sewer project, there has been not one word on global warming and sea level rise. There is no question that the sea level is rising, and this century it is likely to rise sufficiently to make the health of the coastal ponds a moot question. … It seems to me that spending that much money to protect ponds that will soon enough be part of the Atlantic is a huge waste of resources.
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Tags: Climate Change, Coastal Resources Working Group, Coastal Zone Management, global warming, IPCC, Rob Thieler, sea level rise, Sewering
Posted in Climate Change, Request for ideas, Sewering, Wastewater, sea level rise | 2 Comments »
February 16th, 2010 by Elise Hugus
As coastal towns in Massachusetts work out ways to deal with their wastewater, jumping through regulatory hoops often precludes thinking outside the box.
While we have to take the issue of nitrogen (and other nutrient) pollution seriously, we also need to examine the unintended consequences of sewering the entire coast. What impact will pumping and discharging millions of gallons of water have on the aquifer, not to mention, on CO2 levels in the atmosphere? What are some ways we as residents can reduce our nitrogen output on an individual scale?
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Tags: Aqua Tex, Denis LeBlanc, discharge, Ed Clerico, Eric Davidson, Falmouth Friendly Lawns, fertilizer, gray water, meat, nitrogen, outfall pipe, Patrick Lucey, Sagamore Lens, Sewering, Todd Ecological Design, Wastewater, water reuse, Woods Hole Research Center
Posted in Climate Change, Sewering, Wastewater | 1 Comment »
February 9th, 2010 by Elise Hugus
Two months after representatives of the world governments met for the UN Conference of Parties (COP 15) to discuss new strategies for dealing with climate change, many of the policy negotiators are left to pick up the pieces.
Nora Greenglass, a research assistant at the Woods Hole Research Center, shared her impressions as a negotiator for the UN program for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) with members of the Woods Hole Science and Technology Education Partnership (WHSTEP) last week.
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Tags: cap and trade, Copenhagen, Nora Greenglass, REDD, UN Climate Conference, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole Research Center
Posted in Climate Change, REDD | No Comments »
February 2nd, 2010 by Elise Hugus
George Chapman, a resident of East Falmouth, responded to my request for questions about wastewater issues. He brings up the cost of sewering, deemed by many as the greatest unfunded state mandate in history. How can residents get involved to make sure their tax dollars (and betterment fees) are being spent wisely? Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Sewering, Wastewater | 7 Comments »
January 29th, 2010 by Elise Hugus
A major chemistry experiment is taking place in the world’s oceans, with potentially irreversible effects on marine ecosystems and commercial fisheries.
According to scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 30% of the world’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, known to be a leading cause of global warming, are being absorbed by the ocean. Small coincidence that over the past 50 years of global industrialization, rising CO2 emissions have also led to a 30% increase in the average acidity of ocean surface water.
This phenomenon is just starting to attract the attention– and alarm– of policymakers and the shellfish industry. I talked to Scott Doney and Sarah Cooley at WHOI to find out why.
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Tags: CO2 emissions, commercial fisheries, global warming, ocean acidification, Sarah Cooley, Scott Doney, shellfish, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Posted in ocean acidification | No Comments »
January 27th, 2010 by Elise Hugus
Tracy Johns in her office at the Woods Hole Research Center
It’s been a month after COP 15, the UN Climate Change conference that was supposed to give the world a new system for reducing carbon emissions.
A month to reflect, regroup, and respond to this reporter’s questions about what happened, and what didn’t, in Copenhagen. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Climate Change, COP 15, Copenhagen, deforestation, REDD, Tracy Johns, UN Climate Conference, Woods Hole Research Center
Posted in Climate Change | 1 Comment »
January 15th, 2010 by Elise Hugus
Thanks for coming to check out The Enterprise’s latest blog, focusing on science and environmental issues affecting the Upper Cape. From alternative energy, to the wastewater/sewering debate, and the fascinating research going on at the Woods Hole science institutions, I’ll be writing weekly updates on the ways that science effects our daily lives.
While I do have a few ideas to get started, I’d like to hear what you’re interested in. Have you always wondered about that reddish water flowing from a local marsh? Are you confused about what toilets have to do with eel grass? Do you know of a scientists (or are you one yourself) whose research should be shared with the community? If so, please get in touch by posting a comment or sending me an email: hugus@capenews.net.
Thanks for reading, and check back often!
Posted in Request for ideas | No Comments »
