8,000 Gallons of Oil Spill Into Ohio River From Duke Energy Coal Plant
This one's not a big one in the scheme of things. But to those impacted—especially in Ohio, where algae bloom recently caused the water supplying nearly a half million people in the Toledo area to be undrinkable for several days—it's bad news. Monday morning, reports the Columbus Dispatch, the Coast Guard closed down a 15-mile length of the Ohio River after Duke Energy's W.C. Beckjord Station outside Cincinnati dumped approximately 8,000 gallons of oil into the river, according to a Coast Guard estimate.
Duke Energy's Beckjord coal plant, New Richmond, Ohio. Photo credit: Brett Ciccotelli
The Dispatch said that it was unclear if the spill was contained or if it had any impact on wildlife or drinking water, and a company spokesperson said that they were "still assessing the situation," adding that drinking water intake from the river had been closed down. Duke called the spill a "routine transfer of fuel oil."
That is likely small comfort to the three million people who get their water from the river, stretching from Illinois to Pennsylvania and running along Ohio's southern border. And many in the area no doubt have fresh memories of a 10,000-gallon spill that contaminated a football field-sized area in the Oak Glen Nature Preserve near Cincinnati in March.
It might be good news to them that Duke Energy Ohio expects to retire all six coal-fired units at the nearly 60-year-old plant by the end of this year, thanks to new Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
Monday morning, Duke Energy's W.C. Beckjord Station outside Cincinnati dumped approximately 8,000 gallons of oil into the river, according to a Coast Guard estimate. Photo credit: David Sorcher / Greenpeace
Ohio-based Sierra Club organizer Neil Waggoner said of Monday's spill:
This is yet another example of dirty fossil fuels putting us at risk. We pay with our health. We pay for the dangerous cleanup with our tax dollars. At the same time that Duke Energy was spilling oil in our river, it’s also asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to bail out its old, polluting coal plants by passing extra costs on to its customers. If utilities in Ohio invested these dollars in clean energy, we could breathe easier, have safe water and power our lives without suffering the dangers of refineries and coal plants.
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The SpaceX Falcon Heavy launches on its maiden test flight from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 6, 2018. Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images
Three men are paying $55 million each to travel to space, the AP reported.
<p>Announced on Tuesday, the first space crew consisting of private citizens plans to take off next January on a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/spacex" target="_blank">SpaceX</a> rocket and spend eight days aboard the<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/astronauts-return-international-space-station-2645750749.html" target="_blank"> International Space Station</a>.</p><p>"This is the first private flight to the International Space Station. It's never been done before," Mike Suffredini, chief executive and president of Axiom Space, a privately funded space company, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/1st-private-space-crew-pay-55m-each-2e8a78c31ae6309e69632f0f41feccbf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told the AP</a>. </p><p>Although the crew recognizes the crises currently happening on Earth, they feel their efforts as the first private space crew are "an enhancement of their other philanthropic efforts," <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/26/private-space-flight-axiom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Washington Post reported</a>. </p><p>"There are a lot of issues — adversity, and in some regards, crises, here, not only in the U.S., but worldwide," Larry Connor, one of the crew's private citizens, told the Washington Post. "And those absolutely need to be a priority. But we cannot forget about the future. We cannot forget about having long-term visions... And hopefully this mission and the research we're going to do is going to be one small step on that journey."</p>
<p>While their efforts may open doors for the future of commercial space travel, some criticize their timing, as the Covid-19 pandemic, economic recession and increasing costs of the climate crisis continue to ravage communities on Earth.</p>
<p>This debate raises questions on whether space agencies should further their space exploration or use their technology and finances to research climate solutions. </p>
<p>Based on a <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/07/17/how-americans-see-the-future-of-space-exploration-50-years-after-the-first-moon-landing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019 Pew Research Center study</a>, 63 percent of Americans think <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/nasa" target="_blank">NASA'</a>s top priorities should be monitoring the Earth's climate. This public support is backed by Lori Garver, chief executive at Earthrise Alliance and former deputy NASA administrator. </p>
<p>In a 2019 <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/forget-new-manned-missions-in-space-nasa-should-focus-on-saving-earth/2019/07/18/79e55eb8-a995-11e9-9214-246e594de5d5_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">opinion piece</a> published in The Washington Post, she wrote about the relationship between space exploration and climate change. </p>
<p>She explained how NASA's original purpose involved expanding human understanding and solving the nation's impossible problems. But "the impossible problem today is not the moon. And it's not Mars. It's our home planet," she wrote.</p>
<p>Today's aim of space travel should no longer focus on racing space rivals to the latest discovery, Garver added. "<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_blank">Climate change</a> — not Russia, much less China — is today's existential threat."</p>
<p>Space travel and research also come with a heavy environmental cost. For example, when Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon Heavy reaches orbit, it will have emitted more carbon dioxide than an average car would emit in two centuries, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-01-30/space-launch-carbon-emissions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The LA Times reported.</a> </p>
<p>But some claim space innovation can also fuel sustainable technology in the commercial sector. For example, ecology projects such as learning to grow plants in space have developed into an energy-saving practice for indoor agriculture, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/can-spaceflight-save-the-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Scientific American reported</a>. Another space-funded project seeking to remove potent chemicals from dirty rocket launchpads has developed a frequently used compound to clean Superfund sites in the U.S.</p>
<p>Whether the environmental benefit of space exploration and research outweighs the environmental cost remains to be seen. Members of the private space station crew, however, think their experiences will benefit education outreach back home.</p><p>While in space, Connor said he does "not want to be a spectator," the Washington Post reported. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I want to do something of value."</p><p>Back home, Connor intends to teach lessons to students at Dayton Early College Academy, a K-12 charter school, according to the Washington Post. </p><p>"These guys are all very involved and doing it for... the betterment of their communities and countries, and so we couldn't be happier with this makeup of the first crew because of their drive and their interest," Suffredini told the AP.</p><p>While the crew's time in space may benefit others, some question if spending $35,000 a day for the privilege makes sense.</p><p>"The public doesn't understand the purpose of spending massive amounts of money to send a few astronauts to the moon or Mars," Garver wrote in her op-ed. "Is this the most valuable display of our scientific and technological leadership?" </p>
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#SaveSalla is a campaign launched by a Finnish community in partnership with the youth climate movement Fridays for Future. www.savesalla.org
By Jessica Corbett
With temperatures across the globe — and particularly in the Arctic — rising due to lackluster efforts to address the human-caused climate crisis, one of the coldest towns on Earth is throwing its hat in the ring to host the 2032 Summer Olympics.
<p>Salla is located in Finland's Lapland region and <a href="https://www.visitsalla.fi/en/" target="_blank">touts</a> the tagline, "in the middle of nowhere." The average temperature is <a href="https://en.climate-data.org/europe/finland/salla/salla-9790/" target="_blank">below freezing</a> and the area boasts a ski resort, reindeer park, Arctic Circle safaris, and even a snow and ice hotel.</p><p>With support from Fridays for Future — the youth-led movement launched by Swedish teenager <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/25/enough-blah-blah-blah-global-elites-greta-thunberg-declares-digital-davos" target="_blank">Greta Thunberg</a> — Salla announced its Olympic bid to build awareness about "the consequences of global warming and the need for urgent action."</p><p>"Our intention here is clear: we want to keep Salla as it is, and our winters cold and full of snow," said Salla Mayor Erkki Parkkinen. "So, there was this crazy idea: to host the Summer Games in one of the coldest towns on the planet."</p><p>"If we stand back and do nothing, letting global warming prevail," Parkkinen warned, "we will lose our identity, and the town we love — as well as many others around the world — will cease to exist as we know it."</p><p>The campaign, detailed at <a href="https://www.savesalla.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.savesalla.com</a>, includes a short video.</p><p>Watch:</p>
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<p>"Despite the obviousness of the global warming, the ideology of climate change denial is gaining traction all over the world and increasing every year," the campaign website says. "So, we've created this bid to raise attention about the climate emergency. Salla is changing. The whole planet is changing. Not in a good way."</p><p>As Common Dreams has reported, while <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/13/dire-assessment-scientists-warn-humanity-denial-looming-collapse-civilization-we" target="_blank">projections</a> for the entire planet are dire if policymakers don't urgently <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/09/25/un-climate-report-oceans-frozen-regions-warns-unprecedented-transitions-all-aspects" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">work to</a> "effect unprecedented transitions in all aspects of society, including energy, land and ecosystems, urban and infrastructure as well as industry," the Arctic is <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/12/11/deep-trouble-arctic-and-beyond-noaa-climate-report-warns-feedback-loop-may-already" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">particularly at risk</a>.</p><p>"We have only one planet to live in and an immense responsibility to future generations. We can all make a difference. What we cannot do under any circumstances is deny the problem and omit ourselves. The risks will be severe and unavoidable," said Joe Hobbs, a Fridays For Future activist and operations director for Climate Cardinals. "Global warming does not have to be a self-fulfilling prophecy and everyone can make a significant and decisive contribution to stop this process."</p>
<p>Hobbs joined Parkkinen and multiple experts for a <a href="https://videos.netshow.me/v/2R3fyFdLMN8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">press conference</a> about the campaign on Tuesday.</p><p>The event came a day after a new study that showed ice loss worldwide is increasing at a record rate. Lead author Thomas Slater of Leeds' Centre for Polar Observation and Modeling <a href="https://phys.org/news/2021-01-global-ice-loss.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> that "although every region we studied lost ice, losses from the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets have accelerated the most."</p><p>"The ice sheets are now following the worst-case climate warming scenarios set out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change," Slater added. "Sea-level rise on this scale will have very serious impacts on coastal communities this century."</p><p>Also on Monday, Thunberg <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/25/enough-blah-blah-blah-global-elites-greta-thunberg-declares-digital-davos" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">delivered</a> an address to the World Economic Forum's annual meeting — held digitally rather than in Davos, Switzerland this year because of the raging coronavirus pandemic. She told political and business leaders that "when it comes to facing the climate emergency, the world is still in a state of complete denial."</p><p>"Safeguarding the future living conditions and preserving life on Earth as we know it is voluntary. The choice is yours to make," the 18-year-old Swede said. "But I can assure you this: You can't negotiate with physics. And your children and grandchildren will hold you accountable for the choices that you make."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/26/planet-cooks-one-worlds-coldest-towns-bids-host-2032-summer-olympics?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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A deadly tornado touched down near the city of Fultondale, Alabama on Jan. 25, 2021. Justin1569 / Wikipedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
A tornado tore through a city north of Birmingham, Alabama, Monday night, killing one person and injuring at least 30.
<p>The Birmingham National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that a twister touched down in Jefferson County, Alabama, near the city of Fultondale, around 10:30 p.m. Monday night, <a href="https://www.wvtm13.com/article/tornado-damage-in-jefferson-county/35314441" target="_blank">WVTM 13 reported</a>. The storm caused significant damage, knocking down trees and power lines and destroying homes and businesses.</p><p>"It looks like a bomb went off," Sam Moerbe, an 18-year-old who accompanied his father to their former Fultondale neighborhood, <a href="https://www.al.com/news/2021/01/storm-damage-reported-in-fultondale-as-jefferson-county-tornado-watch-continues.html" target="_blank">told AL.com</a>.</p><p>His father, Dave, said all 45 homes in his former community had some damage.</p><p>The tornado left behind a quarter-mile swath of extensive damage, Fultondale Mayor Larry Holcomb told AL.com. It touched down near Interstate 65 and moved northeast toward Fultondale High School, causing significant damage to the school and destroying structures, including the Hampton Inn.</p>
<p>It also claimed at least one life. A teenage boy died when a tree fell on his home, causing it to collapse as he and his family were hiding in the basement, <a href="https://www.wvtm13.com/article/1-dead-over-a-dozen-injured-after-devastating-tornado-in-fultondale-monday-night/35318002" target="_blank">WVTM 13</a> reported.</p><p>Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin confirmed that a 14-year-old Fultondale High School student had been killed, but his identity has not yet been released, according to WVTM 13.</p><p>Fultondale Police Chief D.P. Smith said the victim and the rest of his family had been trapped in the basement after the collapse. Other family members were critically injured, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-weather-birmingham-9111aa9ec1c629c58e5e86f8f7c36e1d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Associated Press</a> reported.</p><p>Fultondale Fire Chief Justin McKenzie said that 18 people have been taken to the hospital with injuries, while six more were rescued from their homes, <a href="https://www.al.com/news/2021/01/storm-damage-reported-in-fultondale-as-jefferson-county-tornado-watch-continues.html" target="_blank">AL.com</a> reported.</p>
<div id="8d576" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ac2d28db83efc91555432779a700a167"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1354046401043456005" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">NEW VIDEO—
(FULTONDALE, Ala.)
Sunlight shows depth of damage from possible tornado on New Castle Rd. Rescue crews… https://t.co/tCLxmvyj08</div> — Stoney Sharp (@Stoney Sharp)<a href="https://twitter.com/StoneySharp3340/statuses/1354046401043456005">1611664793.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Search and rescue efforts continue, James Coker, Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency director, told The Associated Press.</p><p>"Our current goal is always life safety," Coker said. "That is not only for the people who may have been injured but also the first responders who assist them."</p><p>Several people had near misses, including one woman who said she was in bed when the storm struck.</p><p>"The roof left, and the walls,'' Janice Hamilton told AL.com. "It was just in a matter of seconds. It's all gone."</p>
<p>Hamilton, who uses a wheelchair, was taken with her family to a shelter at the Gardendale Civic Center. She said she was grateful to be alive.</p><p>NWS is still working to determine the strength of the tornado, according to The Associated Press.</p><p>There is evidence that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/lee-county-alabama-tornado-2630610008.html" target="_self">tornado alley</a> is shifting from the Great Plains toward the Midwest and Southeast. That could be a problem since tornadoes in the South tend to have a higher death toll due to more densely populated areas and more mobile homes. Tornadoes in the South are also more likely to strike at night, like Monday's twister. Scientists say it is possible that the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> is driving the shift.</p>
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An empty school bus by a field of chemical plants in "Cancer Alley," one of the most polluted areas of the U.S. that stretches from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, where oil refineries and petrochemical plants reside alongside suburban homes. Giles Clarke / Getty Images
By David Konisky
On his first day in office President Joe Biden started signing executive orders to reverse Trump administration policies. One sweeping directive calls for stronger action to protect public health and the environment and hold polluters accountable, including those who "disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities."
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<p><br>To lead this effort Biden has nominated <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/17/climate/michael-regan-epa.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Michael Regan</a> to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa">EPA</a>). Regan, who currently heads North Carolina's Department of Environmental Quality, would be the first Black man to serve as EPA administrator in the agency's 50-year history. His appointment has fueled expectations that the agency will <a href="https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063721111" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">make environmental justice a top priority</a>.</p><p>The EPA <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-09/documents/epa_office_of_environmental_justice_factsheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first created an Office of Environmental Justice in 1992</a>, but I know from <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SnSvL-sAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">my research on decades of the agency's work</a> that it has never given the issue sustained attention. Despite <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/10/105002" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">activism</a> from a growing environmental justice movement, widespread evidence that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-082508-094348" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pollution over-burdens poor and minority communities</a>, and a Clinton-era <a href="https://www.archives.gov/files/federal-register/executive-orders/pdf/12898.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">executive order</a> that mandated federal action, <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/failed-promises" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the EPA has largely failed</a> to modify its programs, policies and decision-making processes in response.</p>
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<p>The agency's toolkit for taking on environmental injustice is limited. Current environmental laws do not require it to craft policies to address unequal pollution burdens, and in some cases they make it difficult to do so. Several <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2236/text" target="_blank">House and Senate members have introduced</a> <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5986/text" target="_blank">bills to give the EPA such a mandate</a>, and they may try again in the new Congress. But the agency can get started before that happens.</p>
<h2>Boost Inclusion and Enforcement</h2><p>In my view, EPA officials can advance environmental justice immediately by striving for inclusive decision-making. This means not just listening to people of color and other communities suffering from pollution burdens, but empowering them to be involved in decisions that affect their lives.</p><p>Historically the EPA has too often taken an "announce-and-defend" approach to its decisions. By giving these communities more voice, I believe the agency will make better decisions and show that it is committed to changing its <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/inside-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">historical insensitivity</a> to environmental justice goals.</p><p>Second, EPA leaders should prioritize enforcement activities in overburdened communities. Numerous studies have shown that federal and state agencies conduct fewer inspections and impose lighter penalties when offending pollution sources are located in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. Researchers have documented this pattern on issues including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022381613000170" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">air pollution</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12397" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">drinking water</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12160" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">hazardous waste management</a>.</p><p>EPA enforcement has <a href="https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/enforcement-annual-results-fiscal-year-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">declined for many years</a>, so the agency needs to ramp up these efforts overall. But its leaders have full discretion to target enforcement toward companies located in communities that are heavily polluted. And they can use existing resources, such as the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ejscreen" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EJSCREEN mapping tool</a>, to help identify these communities.</p><p>EPA officials will need to coordinate these enforcement efforts with the U.S. Department of Justice, which is responsible for prosecuting cases. In addition, the EPA will need to set clear expectations that states, which do the lion's share of enforcement, also prioritize environmental justice communities.</p>
<div id="d8964" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="df5954a2a0e147a6292baacc1851f18a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1340399106414567425" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Quoted in story re: our 25-year fight 2 reduce polluting clusters of waste transfer stations in the communities of… https://t.co/x2ytpTDetm</div> — Eddie Bautista (@Eddie Bautista)<a href="https://twitter.com/eddiebautista08/statuses/1340399106414567425">1608411025.0</a></blockquote></div>
<h2>Spotlight Discrimination and Analyze New Rules for EJ Impact</h2><p>Another thing the EPA can do now is make better use of its authority under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Specifically, Title VI of the Civil Right Act prohibits organizations that receive federal funds from <a href="https://www.epa.gov/ogc/facts-title-vi-civil-rights-act-1964" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">discriminating against protected groups</a>. This includes state and local agencies that issue permits and carry out other activities to implement federal pollution control laws.</p><p>As external assessments have shown, the EPA has an <a href="https://publicintegrity.org/topics/environment/pollution/environmental-justice-denied/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">abysmal record of applying Title VI</a>. Historically it has not been willing to make findings of discrimination, or in many cases even to conduct serious investigations of credible allegations. In one of the few exceptions, when Michigan officials approved siting the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-01/documents/final-genesee-complaint-letter-to-director-grether-1-19-2017.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Genesee Power Station</a> in a predominantly Black neighborhood of Flint, Michigan, over community objections, the agency's finding that this was discriminatory came 25 years after the initial complaint.</p><p>The EPA can improve this process by opening its door to Title VI claims and handling them promptly and fairly. Doing so will show environmental justice communities that it takes their concerns seriously, and make clear to state and local agencies that discrimination is not acceptable.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTUzNjg5NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MjQxMjE0MX0.GJFJ-UxzAYpGKfN5-PWSiuAQi7bn3lO5XixeIaUMqRY/img.jpg?width=980" id="9c042" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4354250e5e919653c514b49adaf38370" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1200" data-height="982" />
Michael S. Regan, President Biden's nominee to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, grew up near a coal-burning power plant in North Carolina and has pledged to "enact an environmental justice framework that empowers people in all communities." NCDEQ
<p>A fourth immediate action the EPA can take is to make it routine practice to consider environmental justice in its rule-making. President Clinton's 1994 executive order suggested doing this, but unlike traditional cost-benefit analysis, it is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0143814X18000077" target="_blank">not a regular part</a> of agency decision-making.</p><p>Fortunately <a href="https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/technical-guidance-assessing-environmental-justice-regulatory-analysis" target="_blank">the EPA already has guidance</a> that was published in 2016 showing how to do environmental justice analysis. Through more careful attention to how new rules affect low-income communities and communities of color, the agency can make its decisions more transparent and adopt policies with fewer impacts on already overburdened communities.</p><p>Achieving environmental justice is a long-term project, and the EPA is just one of many government agencies that need to change their ways before the U.S. can make progress. Eventually Congress will need to provide the EPA with new tools. Until that time, the agency can more effectively use its current authorities to get started.</p>
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<em>David Konisky is a professor of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University.</em><br/>
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<em>Disclosure statement: David Konisky does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</em>
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<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/biden-has-pledged-to-advance-environmental-justice-heres-how-the-epa-can-start-152512" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
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By Katherine Kornei
Clear-cutting a forest is relatively easy—just pick a tree and start chopping. But there are benefits to more sophisticated forest management. One technique—which involves repeatedly harvesting smaller trees every 30 or so years but leaving an upper story of larger trees for longer periods (60, 90, or 120 years)—ensures a steady supply of both firewood and construction timber.
<p>To determine when this management practice first arose in Europe, researchers have analyzed oak construction timbers from historical buildings and archaeological sites dating from the 4th to 21st centuries. They spotted a characteristic tree ring pattern indicative of this technique in timber dating back to the 6th century. That was a surprise, the researchers noted, because this forest management practice shows up in historical documents beginning only in the 13th century.</p>
A Pattern in the Rings
<p>The <a href="https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/coppice-standards-0" target="_blank">coppice-with-standards</a> management practice produces a two-story forest, said <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bernhard_Muigg" target="_blank">Bernhard Muigg</a>, a dendrochronologist at the University of Freiburg in Germany. "You have an upper story of single trees that are allowed to grow for several understory generations."</p><p>That arrangement imprints a characteristic tree ring pattern in a forest's upper story trees (the "standards"): thick rings indicative of heavy growth, which show up at regular intervals as the surrounding smaller trees are cut down. "The trees are growing faster," said Muigg. "You can really see it with your naked eye."</p><p>Muigg and his collaborators characterized that <a href="https://ltrr.arizona.edu/about/treerings" target="_blank">dendrochronological pattern</a> in 161 oak trees growing in central Germany, one of the few remaining sites in Europe with actively managed coppice-with-standards forests. They found up to nine cycles of heavy growth in the trees, the oldest of which was planted in 1761. The researchers then turned to a historical data set — more than 2,000 oak <a href="https://eos.org/articles/podcast-discovering-europes-history-through-its-timbers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">timbers from buildings and archaeological sites</a> in Germany and France dating from between 300 and 2015 — to look for a similar pattern.</p>A Gap of 500 Years
<p>The team found wood with the characteristic coppice-with-standards tree ring pattern dating to as early as the 6th century. That was a surprise, Muigg and his colleagues concluded, because the first mention of this forest management practice in historical documents occurred only roughly 500 years later, in the 13th century.</p><p>It's probable that forest management practices were not well documented prior to the High Middle Ages (1000–1250), the researchers suggested. "Forests are mainly mentioned in the context of royal hunting interests or donations," said Muigg. Dendrochronological studies are particularly important because they can reveal information not captured by a sparse historical record, he added.</p><p>These results were <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-78933-8" target="_blank">published in December in <em>Scientific Reports</em></a>.</p><p>"It's nice to see the longevity and the history of coppice-with-standards," said <a href="https://www.teagasc.ie/contact/staff-directory/s/ian-short/" target="_blank">Ian Short</a>, a forestry researcher at Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority in Ireland, not involved in the research. This technique is valuable because it promotes conservation and habitat biodiversity, Short said. "In the next 10 or 20 years, I think we'll see more coppice-with-standards coming back into production."</p><p>In the future, Muigg and his collaborators hope to analyze a larger sample of historic timbers to trace how the coppice-with-standards practice spread throughout Europe. It will be interesting to understand where this technique originated and how it propagated, said Muigg, and there are plenty of old pieces of wood waiting to be analyzed. "There [are] tons of dendrochronological data."</p><p><em><a href="mailto:katherine.kornei@gmail.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Katherine Kornei</a> is a freelance science journalist covering Earth and space science. Her bylines frequently appear in Eos, Science, and The New York Times. Katherine holds a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California, Los Angeles.</em></p><p><em>This story originally appeared in <a href="https://eos.org/articles/tree-rings-reveal-how-ancient-forests-were-managed" target="_blank">Eos</a></em> <em>and is republished here as part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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