Recent Events

Top US. Official: Climate ‘Ideology’ Hurts Prosperity

AIn a September 10 meeting in Italy, Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that European Union barriers on energy such as methane leak limits and adverse environmental effect limits were “problematic”. The meeting was one of many as he and the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum participated in a series of Europe meetings to push American energy interests. Mr. Wright, as a former gas executive, has previously voiced the opinion that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is “silly”, and Mr. Burgum stated that “climate ideology” has taken away from investment in more pressing concerns such as artificial intelligence.

Alarming Lack of Pacific Cold Upwelling

A recent paper was published documenting the lack of yearly cold upwelling in the Pacific, with potential consequences. Between January and April, a blob of water as much as 18 degrees colder than the surface and rich in nutrients from decomposing matter, rises in the Gulf of Panama. It’s a very essential blob, playing an important role in supporting life, but this year it did not rise despite having done so annually for at least the last four decades. In regards to the news, environmental monitor Steven Patton stated, “Something very unusual happened that we need to pay attention to”. Scientists believe that one likely cause of the lack of upwelling is the lack of strong trade winds blowing over Panama, which push hot surface water away and allow cold water from below to take its place.

How Alkaline Waste from Decades Ago Still Impacts Marine Life

From the 1930s to the 1970s, multiple locations off the coast of Southern California were used as “dump sites”, in which “refinery wastes, filter cakes and oil drilling wastes, chemical wastes, refuse and garbage, military explosives and radioactive wastes” were locked in barrels and dropped deep in the ocean, far enough away from civilization that it was thought to be harmless. In 2020, images of these corroded barrels were brought to public attention—but strangely enough, around a third of them had unexplained white halos surrounding them on the ocean floor. Initially attributed to DDT, new research has discovered that these halos are most likely the result of alkaline waste. These halos have turned the surrounding environment into toxic vents, reflecting the enduring impact of industrial dumping that continues to this day.

Over the course of WWII and into the 1950s, the pesticide DDT became a mass produced chemical used for nearly all applications, domestic and industrial. Regarded as the “Holy Grail” of pesticides, it was not until the 1960s that the dangers DDT posed to humans and the environment were exposed to the public (owing largely to Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring). After the use of DDT was officially banned in 1972, companies still had tons of the chemical in their possession—with no remaining way to make a profit, they discarded it into the ocean, with some of it being loaded into barrels and some directly being pumped into the water. This heavily contaminated the nearby sediments on the ocean floor, which has continued to negatively affect marine life.

However, DDT did not explain the white halos that had mysteriously been found around the barrels. Researchers at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography collected some of the halo crust, which turned out to be concrete-like hardened sediment, and analyzed the samples for DDT concentration, mineral content, and microbial DNA. Interestingly, DDT concentrations did not increase closer to the barrels, meaning that they contained something else that was causing the halos. The scientists determined that they contained caustic (corrosive) alkaline waste, produced as a byproduct of DDT manufacturing and other industries such as oil refining. Analysis showed that the pH of the halo samples was incredibly high, at around 12 (alkaline means basic)—as most organisms cannot withstand being in such a pH, this explained the limited amount of microbial DNA and bacterial biodiversity in the crusts, as well as the reduced small animal biodiversity around the barrels. The hard crust was mostly composed of a mineral called brucite, which was the product of the alkaline waste leaking from the barrels and reacting with magnesium in the water. The dissolving brucite contributes to the high basicity of the sediment, and when this high pH reaches the surrounding water, it forms calcium carbonate that manifests in white dust surrounding the waste. This results in parts of the seafloor being transformed into extreme environments similar to deep hydrothermal vents, where only a select number of alkaliphiles can survive.

It would be expected that any alkaline waste in the barrels would have degraded in the water at this point, but it clearly has been persisting for years, and possibly will continue to pollute the ocean for years to come. According to scientists in the study, the only real hope for eliminating the contaminants in the water is to wait for their slow microbial breakdown, as trying to physically remove them would likely do more harm than good. While it is certain that at least some amount of alkaline waste is contained within these barrels, the exact chemical composition and the number of barrels that are currently sitting on the sea floor is still unknown. However, this discovery has revealed just how limited our knowledge is on what we have stowed away. This research could potentially pave the way for more studies to be conducted about the true extent of these barrels, as well as the risk they pose to surrounding life. Nonetheless, even with the little we currently know, it is clear that our actions now concerning the environment will continue to have long-lasting effects; whether or not humanity has forgotten about the actions we took today, it is certain to manifest itself in the results of the future.

Tips: How to compost correctly

Compost is a biologically stable soil amendment that can be used to build soil health and provide nutrients to plants. Microorganisms like bacteria and fungi break down organic matter into compost. You can easily compost at home using food scraps from your kitchen! Here’s how to compost at home:

1. Determine how you will collect and store your food scraps: You can use a closed container to store scraps on your kitchen counter, under the sink, in the fridge, or in the freezer. This is the food for the microorganisms.

2. Set aside a space for you compost pile: Choose an easily accessible area that has good drainage. Construct a bin for your pile (constructed from wire, wood, cinder blocks, or can be barrels and tumblers). Your compost pile will break down in the sun and the shade but make sure there’s a water source nearby as microorganisms need moisture to live and digest materials.

3. Building your compost pile: Start by adding 4-6 inches of bulky browns (twigs and wood chips). This will absorb extra liquids and allows air to circulate at the base of the pile (make sure to turn the pile every few days or weeks—this will provide oxygen which is essential for the microorganisms to break down the organic waste). You can compost most organic materials such as fruit, vegetables, eggshells, and coffee grounds. Avoid meat, bones, diary, oily foods, and non-organic items (plastics). Try to maintain moisture in your pile.

4. Harvesting your finished compost: When the pile is no longer heating up after mixing and there are no visible food scraps, stop adding materials to the pile to allow the pile to cure. After curing, the pile will shrink to about ⅓ of it's original size.Typically, compost will be finished and ready to use in about 3-5 months but left untended it can take up to a year.

5. Barrington Farm School: You can also always drop food scraps off at the Barrington Farm School, providing compost to help them grow food.