Chicago is One Step Ahead

"Chicago is often called the Second City, but it is way out in front of most in terms of adaptation" -Leslie Kaufman

Chicago is preparing for climate change.

Score for permeable pavement!

What Rising Temperatures Mean for Biodiversity Loss

Don't let the upcoming "snowstorm of the decade" make you forget that global temperatures are actually rising.

Both orang-utans and tigers are severely threatened by climate change

It is estimated that between 20-30% of the world's biodiversity could be lost in the next 100 years. Forget polar bears. Rainforest creatures will have to relocate hundreds of miles. Mountainous animals will have nowhere cooler to go. Think about what this will do genetic diversity, which provides tremendous insight for pharma and biochem research.

The WWF lists a few of the species threatened by climate change.

Unexplained: Thousands of Birds and Fish Found Dead

Washed up fish near Chesapeake Bay in Maryland

Birds are falling from the sky and fish are washing onto shore. From Sweden to New Zealand to Arkansas, people are reporting some pretty bizarre phenomena. Fireworks could be the cause for SOME of the bird deaths, but the rest are unexplained. Could global warming be the culprit?

The Moment of Truth: California Cap-and-Trade Policy vs. Prop 23

On November 2nd, California voters will vote on Proposition 23, which is an attempt to postpone the CO2 cap-and-trade legislation initiated by the 2006 AB (assembly bill) 32. It stipulates that in order for regulations to be put into place, unemployment must drop from 12% to below 5.5% and remain there for four quarters.

On Friday, the Air Resources Board released its most current draft of regulations. It reads like standard cap-and-trade policy: set a cap for CO2 from heavy emitters, allot credits (for free), and then allow these companies to sell/trade these credits each year. The program is set to begin in 2012, and if it functions properly, emissions will be reduced 15% by 2020.

Current polls show that California voters are split 33% for and 48% against Prop 23 (with the rest undecided). Hopefully, these numbers are accurate, and the policy freeze won't pass.

Cap-and-trade was a great success for reducing SOx emissions and acid rain. Who's to say it won't work for CO2 and global warming? If any state can start us off, it's The Golden State.


I hope all of you vote on Tuesday, especially if you're registered in California.

The Storms Are Coming...

As I was leaving Tech yesterday, I witnessed a tree-sized branch crash down onto black convertible. Poor guy. This disaster is evidence of a larger phenomenon. On Tuesday, the Great Lakes region witnessed the lowest barometric pressure in history.

A satellite image from Tuesday afternoon.

This Midwestern "megastorm" caused 24 tornadoes and 282 instances of damaging winds.

Climate scientists say that global climate change will lead to more severe storms. Is this evidence or a coincidence?

Chicago is Safe, but for How Long?

Various nations in Africa and South America have begun to recognize that collaborative efforts may be necessary in order to control freshwater exploitation. This is apparent in the recent call for aquifer use agreements, which would protect cross-country water resources.

Various aquifers in question

In order to protect our water resources, it is important to understand how we are affecting them.
What are we doing wrong? (from what I gather is least to greatest impact, please share your ideas)

1. Road Salt: I always wondered how it could possibly be environmental OK to use so much road salt. I asked myself, "how can there be no consequences when 2 minutes of driving encrusts my car in it?" Apparently, it does matter. One study published this year shows that runoff from salted roads increases water salinity in rivers/streams/lakes, threatening plant and animal life.

Snow or salt?

2. Unleashing Aquifers: Our aquifers are being  drained faster than they can naturally be recharged, causing water shortages in places from Wisconsin to India. That's not the only problem. The water we release from the ground eventually ends up in the world's oceans and is responsible for 25% (.8mm/yr) of rising sea levels.

3. Global Warming: There is significant evidence that global warming hastens the water cycle, which results in increased evaporation and precipitation. Unfortunately, when you mess with the water cycle, you don't get more rain everywhere. In wet regions, rainfall increases, which fosters damaging floods. In dry regions, less rain will fall, and freshwater bodies may increase in salinity and/or dry up, which may cause devastating droughts.

I've always had great appreciation for Chicago. It isn't just because of the city's impressive architecture, positive energy, and seasonal variation. It's also because when the world's water supply fades, Chicago will be at the heart of the largest freshwater system on Earth, The Great Lakes. However, my guess is that, in time, even Chicago won't be immune.



Evidence from near and far:

• East Antarctic Lakes have seen increases in salinity.
• Salinity increases in India have led crocodiles into populated areas.
• Cities in Wisconsin were hurting when they were cut off from Lake Michigan.