Here is an interesting look at how climate change could affect one of our most important resources- groundwater.
The article, “How climate change will mess with water ‘recharge’ in Western U.S.,” by the University of Arizona, and posted on Futurity, discusses a study about the possible changes to “groundwater recharge” due to climate change.
Read the article HERE.
Interesting information from Climate Carl. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released data on the “global year to date temperature anomalies.”
From Carl’s Climate Letter #1069:
Year-to-date comparison of global temperatures for 2017 and all previous years since 1880. This year ranks as the third highest through November and is almost sure to hold that position for the full year. The latest four years will all be included in the four highest of all-time.
See the report from Climate Carl’s analysis HERE.
Also, see NOAA’s “Assessing the Global Climate in 2017” report HERE.
Meteorologist Cindy Preszler, who is well-known in St. Louis for her past work at KSDK-TV, now uses Climate Matters’ graphs and data to emphasize the impact of global warming on the local weather on her new WeatherSTL.com.
TV meteorologists have a new informational outlet to help provide localized climate information. The project is called Climate Matters.
“Supported by the National Science Foundation, the project is designed to increase the quality and quantity of reporting on climate-change science, impacts, and solutions.
According to Shari Bell of Climate Central, TV meteorologists were somewhat skeptical of the program at first. Weather forecaster Cindy Preszler, now retired from KSDK-TV in St. Louis, was one of the first to sign on.”
The article, written by Don Corrigan and published in the latest Gateway Journalism Review, showcases the program’s pilot project in Missouri. And also provides an inside look at how Climate Matters can help local audiences bridge the gap between weather and climate change. The project currently works with about 460 weather professionals in 135 markets across the country.
Find links to the Gateway Journalism Review article and Preszler’s new local weather website by reading more below.
Photo: GreenStar via Pixabay.
Here’s a headline for you: “E-waste grew 8 percent in just 2 years. Just one-fifth was recycled. – A growing global middle class and our tech-saturated lives are burying the planet in electronic waste.” The article appeared in Environmental Health News (EHN) recently.
While the public happily pursues the latest popular new technology and electronic gadget, what is happening to the discarded electronic devices? Apparently, recycling the equipment is not on top of the list. Check out the EHN article HERE.
Many people are conscious of recycling glass, plastics, and other materials – so why not electronics? It could be many reasons, like the items could be bulky or the items may not be able to be picked up with the rest of a household’s recyclable materials. It’s not just households – businesses can also produce a large amount of electronic waste.
A step in the right direction may be as simple as knowing where to take our e-scrap to be recycled.
So what should we do with our electronic waste in the St. Louis area and Missouri? Find a few informational resources that can help below.
Also, can our electronic waste be a threat to national security? One national advocacy organization says – yes.
The advocacy group, JUST MOMS STL, released a statement after West Lake Landfill landed on the EPA’s top 10 list of Superfund Sites slated for immediate action. For more information, and comments from Karen Nickel and Dawn Chapman, see the release below.
Don Corrigan
Let’s be honest: nature, the outdoors and the environment have taken a beating this year. But before we get to the bad news, let’s chalk up some much-needed good news – much of it is local.
The Missouri Department of Agriculture has released information about MissouriGrownUSA.com. The website gives users the ability to find locally grown products nearest to their location.
That’s right! Do you want to purchase fresh locally grown items quickly and near where you live? Do you need tomatoes, onions or lettuce? How about apples or peaches?
The answer can be found at MissouriGrownUSA.com. Type in what item you are looking for, and your zip code, and with the press of the enter key you will find where the nearest farmer or local retailer is located. OR select a category from a list of choices, like berries, cheese, eggs, meats, pickles, vegetables, fruits, relishes, salsa, and more. Easy! And everything chosen is produced right here in Missouri!
Check it out HERE!
Read more from the Missouri Department of Agriculture below.
By Don Corrigan
It is a serious omission that Environmental Echo is just now getting around to the US government’s new climate report released a few weeks ago.
Bloomberg has had some very helpful background information on this climate report. As Carl’s Climate Letters reports, because of its length the report will probably not be read by many people, but it can still be useful as a tool in adversarial situations because of its unquestionably high quality.
The Bloomberg report: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-06/how-the-trump-white-house-wound-up-releasing-dire-climate-report
Here is just a short excerpt from that report by Bloomberg: (see below)
Missouri Route 141/Interstate 44 intersection. Photo by Ursula Ruhl (SCT).
Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told a concerned audience at the Powder Valley Nature Center on Nov. 1 that there’s undoubtedly more rain — and flooding – in the long-range weather forecast for this area.
Mayors from Kirkwood, Fenton and Valley Park, along with about 70 area residents, attended the Corps’ Meramec River Flood Risk Workshop. Local mayors introduced themselves before the program began and noted damage to their towns by flooding since 2015.
“No one has the magic answer on how to stop the rains or stop the flooding,” said Fenton Mayor Josh Voyles. “But we welcome the chance to discuss how we can prepare for future flood events here tonight.”
From left to right are Barbara Wall, Diane Albright, and Rachel Speed, Sierra Club members who participated in the Climate Change Culinary tour.
Climate change often seems like a big, slow-moving monster that haunts other people’s lives in other locations, but the powerful natural disasters associated with climate change can be felt from thousands of miles away right here in St Louis.
Members of the Sierra Club spoke with St. Louis area restaurateurs who have roots in communities that have been hit by natural disasters. The Sierra Club Climate Change Culinary Tour gave participants plenty to chew on, both literally and figuratively, as they partook in carefully crafted cuisine and learned about the cultures and communities that inspire each venue.
Environmental Echo 