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A. Battenburg / Technical University of Munich
Algae in a pond may look flimsy. But scientists are using algae to develop industrial-strength material that's as hard as steel but only a fraction of the weight.
<p>Thomas Brück of the Technical University of Munich, Germany, and his team developed a process that uses algae oil to create carbon fibers. They're strong, lightweight materials that can be used in cars, airplanes and buildings.</p><p>Making these carbon fibers uses far less energy and produces far less carbon pollution than making concrete or steel. But that's not its only climate benefit.</p><p>Algae absorb CO2 as they grow, so when algae oil is used as a raw material for carbon fibers, the CO2 gets locked inside.</p><p>Years later, when those carbon fibers need to be disposed of, they can be ground up and permanently stored underground.</p><p>"So you have this very new advanced material where you can actually store atmospheric carbon indefinitely," Brück says.</p><p>He says scaling up will require big investments in algae cultivation. But once that's in place, this new technology could create strong industrial materials that also benefit the climate.</p><p><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/10/researchers-turn-algae-into-a-material-as-hard-as-steel/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>. Additional reporting provided by Sarah Kennedy, ChavoBart Digital Media.</em></p>
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A dog named Sheba runs out of a duck pond in Prospect Park Sept. 2, 2007 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
Daniel Barry / Getty Images
The toxic algae blooms that have killed dogs in Texas, North Carolina and Georgia have been detected in three New York City parks. Parents and pet owners are being warned to keep their kids and dogs away from the infected water, which can be fatal when dogs lap it up, swallow it while swimming, or lick it off their own fur, as the New York Times reported.
<p>Two of the city's most popular parks, Central Park and Prospect Park in Brooklyn have water coated in an algae bloom laced in the harmful and sometimes deadly cyanobacteria, as the <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/08/24/toxic-algae-thats-killed-9-dogs-found-in-central-park-prospect-park/" target="_blank">New York Post</a> reported.</p><p><br></p><p>The blooms are not technically algae, but cyanobacteria — aquatic and photosynthetic bacteria</p>
<p>The New York Department of Environmental Conservation, which routinely tests the waters in New York City's parks, found dangerously high levels of toxins in the Harlem Meer at the north end of Central Park, the Turtle Pond next to the Great Lawn in Central Park, the pond in Prospect Park and the pond in Morning Side Park, as the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/25/nyregion/toxic-algae-nyc-parks.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront" target="_blank">New York Times</a> reported. </p>
<p>"When enjoying fresh water features in city parks, it is important to try to avoid contact with any algae and keep pets on leashes and do not allow them to enter or drink from lakes and ponds unless in areas specifically designated for such activities," a spokeswoman with NYC Parks said in a statement sent to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/science/new-york-city-toxic-algae-central-park-water" target="_blank">Fox News</a>.</p>
<p>"Many factors influence algae blooms, including high nutrients, stagnant water, high temperatures, and low oxygen," she continued.</p>
<p>Urban areas are particularly susceptible since a variety of nutrients found on nearby roads, sidewalks and sewage pipes, pour into the lakes and ponds. Plus, the waters are shallow, which allows nutrients to mix easily, according to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/25/nyregion/toxic-algae-nyc-parks.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront" target="_blank">New York Times</a>.</p>
<p>The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website publishes a <a href="https://nysdec.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=ae91142c812a4ab997ba739ed9723e6e" target="_blank">map of locations</a> where a harmful algal bloom (HAB) has been detected. However, it warns that the map may be incomplete as HABs often develop and spread quickly, particularly in August and September. "HABs may be present in all or parts of a waterbody. Avoid recreating in discolored water, or water that has visible scums," the <a href="https://nysdec.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=ae91142c812a4ab997ba739ed9723e6e" target="_blank">website warns</a>. </p>
<p>Cyanobacteria releases toxins that can cause skin rashes, gastrointestinal distress and neurological problems. The toxins can also trigger liver damage and respiratory paralysis in animals, as the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/25/nyregion/toxic-algae-nyc-parks.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront" target="_blank">New York Times</a> reported.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/08/24/toxic-algae-thats-killed-9-dogs-found-in-central-park-prospect-park/" target="_blank">New York Post</a> tracked down dog walkers near the algae-covered Harlem Meer.</p>
<p>"That water is horrible –there is a ton of junk inside there plus the algae," said Eric Quick, 30, as he walked his two dogs.</p>
<p>"There are a bunch of fish and turtles that die on a regular basis, so you don't know what's in there. You see a lot of floating turtles. It's pretty awful," said Sunday Humphrey, 53, who doesn't allow her pitbull-rottweiler mix near the water.</p>
<p>The Parks Department has put up yellow signs near the Harlem Meer and in Prospect Park warning park goers about the Harmful Algal Bloom, saying not to fish in the water, not to drink the water, not to let animals or children near the water, and to rinse any skin exposed to the cyanobacteria. </p>
<p>"I just had my dog on a walk right near the water," said Marcin Nasuro, 24, who was with his poodle in Prospect Park, as the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/25/nyregion/toxic-algae-nyc-parks.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront" target="_blank">New York Times</a> reported. "I wouldn't come near the lake if I knew it was toxic. A dog's like a kid. It's like a part of your family."</p>
<p>This year toxic algae blooms have decimated businesses near popular summer spots. Every <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/mississippi-beaches-toxic-algae-2639129460.html" target="_self">beach in Mississippi was closed</a> earlier this summer and New Jersey's largest and most popular <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/lake-hopatcong-algae-blooms-2639659015.html" target="_self">lake has been closed</a> since June because of toxic algae, as Ecowatch reported. </p>
<p>Scientists attribute the spike in HABs to the climate crisis, which has increased the intensity of rainstorms. </p>
<p>"There is a relationship between a changing climate and increased intensity of storms," said Marit Larson, the chief of natural resources in New York City's Department of Parks and Recreation, to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/25/nyregion/toxic-algae-nyc-parks.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront" target="_blank">New York Times</a>.</p>
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jurgita.photography / Moment / Getty Images
By Grace Francese
Outbreaks of potentially toxic algae are fouling lakes, rivers and other bodies of water across the U.S. Nationally, news reports of algae outbreaks have been on the rise since 2010.
<p>What's worse, some algae blooms produce dangerous toxins called microcystins. The <a href="https://www.ewg.org/" target="_blank">Environmental Working Group</a> just released <a href="https://ewg.org/interactive-maps/2019_microcystin/" target="_blank">a report</a> showing that microcystins have been found in lakes across the U.S. – even when there's no visible toxic algae outbreak.</p><p>Here's what you should know about kids' and pets' safety around potentially dangerous water and what you can do to prevent the growth of algae blooms.</p>
What are algae blooms?
<p>These smelly blooms <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tZooDsX8Fo" target="_blank">aren't actually algae at all</a>, but photosynthetic microorganisms called cyanobacteria.</p><p>Runoff from farm fields is often polluted with phosphorous and other chemicals in manure and commercial fertilizers. When this polluted runoff gets into lakes, it feeds the growth of cyanobacteria, especially in warm weather. Increasingly heavy rains and flooding, exacerbated by the climate crisis, make the problem worse. </p>What are microcystins?
<p>Many algae blooms are gross, forming a foul-smelling slime on a lake's surface, but not hazardous. But for reasons no one yet understands, some produce poisonous chemicals called cyanotoxins, including the group known as microcystins.</p>What are the health risks?
<p>Microcystin-producing cyanobacteria are a hazard to anyone, but the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/habs/" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> says children are especially vulnerable, since they're most likely to ingest water while swimming. Exposure can cause coughing, nausea, weakness, cramping and headaches, as well as long-term health effects such as liver failure.</p><p>Contact with skin, drinking <a href="https://www.ewg.org/toxicalgalblooms/#map" target="_blank">contaminated tap water</a> or eating contaminated fish can also cause health problems. Even breathing in microcystins can be harmful, and recent studies have shown that the <a href="https://www.news-press.com/story/tech/science/environment/2019/03/15/new-health-questions-raised-fgcu-research-toxic-algae-dust/3176195002/" target="_blank">toxins can become airborne</a>, drifting a mile or more from the site of the outbreak.</p>How can I recognize and avoid algae blooms?
<p>The best approach is to check with your city, county or state health departments, which may issue warnings. You can also use EWG's <a href="https://www.ewg.org/interactive-maps/2019_microcystin/map/" target="_blank">map</a>to see whether authorities have found microcystins in a particular lake in the past few years.</p><p>If you can't find information about a specific lake, get to know the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsgg2rqPKEE&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">warning signs</a>. Look out for dead fish or animals in or near the water, and slime that looks like blue, blue-green, bright green or dark green spilled paint.</p><p>Only experts who test the water can determine definitively whether an algae bloom is toxic. So if you come across what looks like an algae outbreak, stay away – even if you're not sure it's toxic. Don't swim in it, and do your best to avoid breathing the air around it. Contact your health department and alert local news media.</p>What should I do if I think my child has been exposed to a toxic algae outbreak?
<p>If you think your child has come into contact with toxic algae, or shows flu-like symptoms after playing in or near it, rinse them off with water. Make sure they also drink plenty of water. Seek medical attention as soon as possible.</p>How can we prevent algae blooms?
<p>Farming practices like vegetative buffers along streams and rivers help minimize runoff, but these practices won't be widely implemented without regulations that require farmers to apply them. </p><p>Ideally, states would test lakes and other bodies of water for microcystins and other cyanotoxins and warn the public when there's danger. But EWG's new report found that only 20 states test regularly for microcystins and make the data public, and often only after a delay.</p><p>The Environmental Protection Agency should regulate these toxins to protect our tap water supplies. <a href="https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/P100N2VG.PDF?Dockey=P100N2VG.PDF" target="_blank">More than two-thirds</a> of all Americans get their drinking water from utilities that rely at least in part on lakes, rivers or other surface water. Yet the EPA doesn't regulate the level of microcystins and other cyanotoxins in drinking water.</p><p>For more info about toxic algae outbreaks, check out this <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-and-analysis/2019/05/toxic-algae-blooms-what-you-should-know" target="_blank">overview</a>. EWG also maintains a resource center on algae blooms <a href="https://www.ewg.org/key-issues/water/toxicalgae" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
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Pet owners around the country are seeing their beloved canines perish after letting them cool off in waters harboring toxic algae.
<p>Dogs in North Carolina, Georgia and Texas have all died recently after swimming in waters covered in a harmful algae bloom, which is difficult to detect.</p><p>"Your typical lay person will not be able to tell one algae from another, or a good from a bad," said Dr. Mark Aubel, of Greenwater Laboratories who studies harmful algae blooms, to <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/marietta-couple-shares-warning-on-toxic-algae-after-dog-dies-less-than-an-hour-after-visit-to-lake-allatoona/85-b8c44ca2-a390-4c4e-82a2-0e67ab29dd94" target="_blank">Atlanta's 11 Alive</a>. "It just kind of behooves anybody that sees algae in a lake, in a pond, that they'd probably want to be cautious and just not expose themselves to it or to their pets."</p>
<p>Last Thursday, a couple in Wilmington, NC tried to give their three dogs some relief from the heat by letting the dogs splash around in a nearby pond. Within 15 minutes of leaving the water, one of their West Highland terriers started to suffer from seizures. When they arrived at the veterinarian's office, the other Westie started to decline, followed shortly by the couple's "doodle" mix therapy dog. By midnight, all three dogs were dead, as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/11/us/three-dogs-died-algae-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported.</p><p>All three died from ingesting harmful blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, in the water.</p><p>"What started out as a fun night for them has ended in the biggest loss of our lives," wrote Melissa Martin, one of the dog owners, in a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/melissa.martin1974/posts/10219945909782726" target="_blank">Facebook post</a> that has been shared more than 15,000 times, according to CNN.</p><p>Since she did not see any warning about the harmful algae bloom, "We are now on a mission to put signs at every body of water that can have this deadly bacteria," Martin added at the end of her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/melissa.martin1974/posts/10219945909782726" target="_blank">Facebook post</a>.</p><p>In Austin, TX, three dogs have died after exposure to the toxic algae at Lady Bird Lake in Red Bud Isle. While people are not allowed to swim in the water, the popular spot for an off-leash dog walk had no signs warning dog walkers to keep their dogs away from the lake.</p><p>Now, after three dogs have died, the city closed Red Bud Isle to the public after discovering that 40 percent of Lady Bird Lake's surface is covered in a harmful algae bloom.</p>
<p>The first dog death at Red Bud Isle happened a month ago when an Austin dog-owner's German shepherd-Rhodesian ridgeback mix lost control of his legs and struggled to breathe after swimming in the lake. The dog was brain dead shortly after arriving at the vet's office, the <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20190808/it-happened-so-fast-owners-describe-last-moments-of-3-dogs-who-died-after-lady-bird-lake-visits" target="_blank">Austin American-Statesman</a> reported.</p><p>The other two dogs died on Aug. 1 and 3, respectively. All three dogs had the same story: after entering the water, the dogs struggled to keep their balance and lost the ability to stand. Within an hour they were dead, the <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20190808/it-happened-so-fast-owners-describe-last-moments-of-3-dogs-who-died-after-lady-bird-lake-visits" target="_blank">Austin American-Statesman</a> reported.</p><p>It's not fair, and it's not okay," wrote Brittany Stanton, the owner of the last dog to die from swimming in Lady Bird Lake, in a lengthy <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10214306328674327&set=pcb.10214306360955134&type=3&theater" target="_blank">post on Facebook</a>. "Word needs to be spread about this incredibly devastating risk."</p><p>This weekend, a similar story happened in Georgia, when a couple took their border collie to Lake Allatoona. Shortly after splashing around, the dog began to vomit and by the time the owners reached the vet, the dog was brain dead, according to the owner's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/morgan.laushey/posts/10214149003188976" target="_blank">Facebook post</a>.</p><p>This summer has seen an unusually intense wave of algae blooms that have shut down lakes in the Pacific Northwest, New Jersey and every beach on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Scientists say the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate</a> crisis is probably a factor in the increase of cyanobacteria, which can grow in dense clusters and produce toxic substances. An increase in the frequency and intensity of rainstorms has pushed fertilizer runoff into waterways. Furthermore, hot, sunny days and the conditions are set for a harmful algae bloom, which are appearing more frequently and earlier in the season, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/nyregion/lake-hopatcong-algae.html?rref=collection%252Fsectioncollection%252Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p><p>Dogs are particularly vulnerable to cyanobacteria because they swallow so much water when they swim, as <a href="https://heavy.com/news/2019/08/austin-lake-blue-green-algae/" target="_blank">Heavy.com</a> reported.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Many Hazards of Toxic Algae Outbreaks <a href="https://t.co/VDx3L4PPR0">https://t.co/VDx3L4PPR0</a></p>— Enviro Voter Project (@Enviro_Voter) <a href="https://twitter.com/Enviro_Voter/status/1042106628009537536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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CBS New York / Screenshot
Less than a week after the official start of summer, New Jersey's largest lake was shut down by state officials due to a harmful algae bloom. Now, well into the heart of summer, Lake Hopatcong remains closed. And, several other lakes that have seen their waters turn green due to a rise in cyanobacteria have also been shut down, including Budd Lake and parts of Greenwood Lake.
<p>Summer economies have been shattered by New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection warnings about the blue-green algae. Lakeside rentals, swimming instructors, sailing teachers, boat rental operators, mini-golf clerks, ice cream vendors and many others who depend on a seasonal income have seen their bottom line decimated by the beach closures, according to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/nyregion/lake-hopatcong-algae.html?rref=collection%252Fsectioncollection%252Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront" target="_blank">New York Times</a>. </p>
<p>In fact, Lake Hopatcong, which is usually buzzing with activity, is so empty that a black bear recently took a swim across it, as <a href="https://twitter.com/News12NJ/status/1153722296835674118" target="_blank">News12 NJ tweeted</a>.</p><p>The warning for Greenwood Lake was issued in mid-July, but triggered the cancellation of the lake's annual powerboat race during the last weekend in August.</p><p>"Although you would think our boat racers would not directly be affected, there is still potential for exposure to our competitors and emergency crews," the American Powerboat Association said in an official statement, as reported by <a href="https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/passaic/west-milford/2019/07/29/greenwood-lake-nj-algae-bloom-cancels-august-powerboat-race-weekend/1857366001/" target="_blank">Northjersey.com</a>. "This bacteria is reported to potentially cause skin rashes, sickness or worse and our insurance is not prepared to take on the added liability."</p><p>Cyanobacteria, DEP officials warn, produce toxins that can cause skin irritation, stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, fever, sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pain, blisters of the mouth and liver damage, as the <a href="https://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/2019/08/02/another-algae-bloom-closes-budd-lake-beach/1902332001/" target="_blank">Morristown Daily Record</a> reported.</p><p>This summer has seen an unusually intense wave of algae blooms that have shutdown lakes in the Pacific Northwest and every beach on the Mississippi Gulf coast. Scientists say the climate crisis is probably a factor in the increase of cyanobacteria, which can grow in dense clusters and produce toxic substances. An increase in the frequency and intensity of rainstorms has pushed fertilizer runoff into waterways. Add to that hot, sunny days and the conditions are set for a harmful algae bloom, which are appearing more frequently and earlier in the season, according to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/nyregion/lake-hopatcong-algae.html?rref=collection%252Fsectioncollection%252Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront" target="_blank">New York Times</a>.</p><p>"With climate change, we've got more precipitation, we've got sea-level rise and all this aging infrastructure," said Chris Sturm, managing director for policy and water at New Jersey Future, a group pushing for better-planned development, as the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/nyregion/lake-hopatcong-algae.html?rref=collection%252Fsectioncollection%252Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront" target="_blank">reported</a>.</p><p>Without swift political action and cooperation from all the towns around Lake Hopatcong, the lake may very well see more summers ruined by harmful algae blooms. The counties around Lake Hopatcong have older sewer and drainage systems that have worn down and been overwhelmed by increasingly intense storms. Pollution streams into the lake from diffuse sources — a couple of towns around the lake have sewers, while another started a sewer project but was not able to finish it. A fourth town only has septic systems, which have to be pumped out every three years, according to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/05/nyregion/lake-hopatcong-algae.html?rref=collection%252Fsectioncollection%252Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront" target="_blank">New York Times</a>.</p>
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How Your Diet Contributes to Nutrient Pollution and Dead Zones in Lakes and Bays
12 July 2019
Insights + Opinion
iStockr / iStock / Getty Images Plus
By Donald Scavia
Every year in early summer, scientists at universities, research institutions and federal agencies release forecasts for the formation of "dead zones" and harmful algal blooms in the Gulf of Mexico, the Chesapeake Bay and Lake Erie. This year the outlook is not good.
<p>The dead zone that forms annually in the Gulf of Mexico is likely to approach, if not surpass, record size at roughly 7,250 square miles. Another dead zone in the Chesapeake Bay is projected to be within the top 20% recorded over the past 20 years — about 2.1 cubic miles, equivalent to over 3.5 million Olympic-size swimming pools. And Lake Erie is also projected to set records, with almost 50,000 tons of potentially toxic <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/algae" rel="noopener noreferrer">algae</a>.</p><p>The key factor driving these forecasts is winter and spring rainfall considerably above normal across the central U.S. The winter of 2018-2019 was the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news/us-records-wettest-winter-capped-by-cooler-wetter-february-2019" target="_blank">wettest on record</a> across the nation, and May was the <a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-201905" target="_blank">second-wettest month on record</a>.</p><p>Predicting the results isn't rocket science. More rain means more flooding and more runoff from farmlands. These waters carry heavy loads of nutrients, mainly from fertilizer, that fuel algal blooms. The end results include <a href="https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government-treading-water-dead-zone-hypoxia-agricultural-runoff-fish-kill-nonpoint-source-pollution-surface-runoff-iowa-farmers-dnr-cover-crops-improve-water-quality-12022018" target="_blank">fish kills, closed beaches, possible drinking water alerts and loss of coastal property value</a>.</p>
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<h2>Treading Water</h2><p>Algal blooms occur when water bodies become overloaded with nitrogen and phosphorus from farms, water treatment plants and other sources. Warm water and nutrients promote rapid growth of algae. Some strains can be toxic or even fatal to aquatic life and humans.</p><p>Eventually algae settle to the bottom and decay. This process depletes dissolved oxygen in the water, creating "dead zones" where oxygen levels are low enough to kill fish.</p><p>Scientists and public officials have understood this problem for decades, but progress toward addressing it has been painfully slow. Nutrient loads, dead zones and harmful algal blooms in these systems dominated by <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/agriculture" rel="noopener noreferrer">agriculture</a> have <a href="https://theconversation.com/forecasting-dead-zones-and-toxic-algae-in-us-waterways-a-bad-year-for-lake-erie-43747" target="_blank">increased or held grudgingly steady for decades</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTg4NTA0OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTk2MjE1Mn0.Ue7bo05Dzoli07sApvV5dfwoRcRyKhMvChKYdBvgJAg/img.png?width=980" id="3081f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f442bd52f4f6396f13e3c4481e620e1f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Dead zone and harmful algal bloom trends with 2019 forecasts in red.
From http://scavia.seas.umich.edu/hypoxia-forecasts/
<p>The main policy tool available now to combat nutrient losses from agricultural lands is the <a href="https://www.farmers.gov/farmbill" target="_blank">Farm Bill</a>, enacted about every five years, which provides <a href="https://theconversation.com/trump-budget-would-undo-gains-from-conservation-programs-on-farms-and-ranches-82420" target="_blank">funds for voluntary conservation efforts</a>. Between 1995 and 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture provided almost <a href="https://conservation.ewg.org/?_ga=2.138171184.145269961.1561742445-1342849811.1561742445" target="_blank">$32 billion</a> in conservation incentive payments. U.S. water quality would be much worse without these programs, but they simply have not been sufficient to reduce nutrient loads over time.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTg4NTExMS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzk3MzA4NH0.Ebi7DWMBm_73sX2K7vqo7QELWkbsSy5-pD8Zz6UnKF0/img.png?width=980" id="06a59" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="84bbb775b305c59557e19aa8080e1db2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Nutrient load trends; 2019 loads in red.
From: http://scavia.seas.umich.edu/hypoxia-forecasts/
<h2>Warmer and Wetter</h2><p>Scientists predict that as the climate warms, this problem is <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aan2409" target="_blank">likely to get worse</a>.</p><p>Most climate models forecast <a href="https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/" target="_blank">increased precipitation</a>, especially intense spring rains, for most of the Midwest, the Great Lakes basin and the mid-Atlantic. As air warms, it can hold increasing amounts of water vapor, which <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-driving-rapid-shifts-between-high-and-low-water-levels-on-the-great-lakes-118095" target="_blank">contributes to more precipitation</a> during <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather" rel="noopener noreferrer">extreme weather</a> events. In turn, heavier rainfall will impact nutrient runoff and dead zone formation.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTg4NTI2Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMTY1OTQ3OH0.n_NcTaebjjpG3CefMTJV_we4ayIUADotM-6iMmPpoiE/img.jpg?width=980" id="5a0f1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f695e4f69c85601cb8693eaf5d0d5a96" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Under a worst-case climate change scenario, in which global temperatures rise nearly 5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels by 2100, very heavy precipitation events in the Midwest, Great Plains and Southeast regions would increase sharply.
NOAA
<h2>A Dietary Strategy</h2><p>Farm-based <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/conservation" rel="noopener noreferrer">conservation</a> programs are important, and some new practices could <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2017.03.015" target="_blank">improve nutrient management</a>. For example, farmers can widen drainage ditches to create two-stage ditches, which allow water to flow onto vegetated side "benches" that capture nutrients during periods of heavy rainfall.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTg4NTM3OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NDc5OTQyMX0.K4sfBZ0gDYNLYyl_IDnoebjCGtwLqs6G94PpRHHG-8Y/img.png?width=980" id="038dc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bd2781a5dbd8cacd9fe0e82c0cdab651" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
A two-stage ditch has a low-flow channel and a vegetated side 'benches' that are flooded during higher flows. The grass slows water flow and allows nutrients to settle out.
Ohio State University Extension, CC BY
<p>But even these measures would have to be implemented at <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/fee.1472" target="_blank">unprecedented scales</a> to be effective. The challenge is even more daunting when recognizing that, for example, while the annual total phosphorus load to Lake Erie is large, it is only 10% of the amount applied in fertilizer each year. In addition, as with the Chesapeake and Mississippi watersheds, soils around Lake Erie are already laden with nitrogen and phosphorus.</p><p>In my view, part of the solution could be using markets to <a href="https://theconversation.com/industrial-corn-farming-is-ruining-our-health-and-polluting-our-watersheds-39721" target="_blank">drive a shift away from industrial-scale corn production</a>, which is a major source of nutrient pollution. One major step would be eliminating the federal mandate requiring oil companies to <a href="https://www.epa.gov/renewable-fuel-standard-program/overview-renewable-fuel-standard" target="_blank">blend corn-based ethanol into gasoline</a>, which consumes <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/time-to-rethink-corn/" target="_blank">40% of U.S. corn production</a>.</p><p>This will be politically difficult as long as presidential primaries <a href="https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/03/05/2020-democrats-ethanol-225517" target="_blank">start in Iowa</a>. But other strategies may be more feasible, such as encouraging private-sector companies to demand <a href="https://fieldtomarket.org/" target="_blank">corn raised through more sustainable practices</a>.</p><p>Reducing <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/meat-consumption">meat consumption</a>, which consumes another <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/time-to-rethink-corn/" target="_blank">36% of U.S. corn production</a> for animal feed, could also have a significant impact. Studies have shown that reducing this demand for row crops <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.12.001" target="_blank">reduces nutrient pollution</a>.</p><p>This idea has gained momentum with the growth of the alternative meat industry. The success of startups like <a href="https://www.beyondmeat.com/" target="_blank">Beyond Meat</a> and <a href="https://impossiblefoods.com/" target="_blank">Impossible Foods</a> is luring giants like <a href="http://fortune.com/2019/06/13/tyson-plant-based-meat-pea-protein/" target="_blank">Tyson</a> and <a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/chicken-producer-perdue-enters-crowded-plant-based-meat-market-11629576" target="_blank">Perdue</a> into the game. Some are even struggling to keep up with demand for plant-based meat alternatives, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/15/business/impossible-foods-burger-demand.html" target="_blank">particularly in China</a>. One recent market analysis suggests that plant-based "meat" will <a href="https://www.atkearney.com/retail/article/?/a/how-will-cultured-meat-and-meat-alternatives-disrupt-the-agricultural-and-food-industry" target="_blank">surpass animal sources globally by 2040</a>.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTg4NTUwNC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyOTYzOTYzNH0.oVOIzG8xrsJyXxASLvXXstTzaCKVAJVp13WGsGZ_DdA/img.png?width=980" id="77dd9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1d0218e6ee5d5e93d7816388c8d5d4de" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
AT Kearney, CC BY-ND
<h2>Shrinking Agriculture's Footprint</h2><p>Scientists have understood for decades that excess nitrogen and phosphorus degrade Lake Erie, the Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Nutrient inputs from sewage treatment plants and other discreet, easily identifiable sources have declined because they are regulated under the Clean Water Act.</p><p>But the nutrients fouling these water bodies now come mostly from diffuse sources, particularly industrial-scale row crop agriculture. Those operations are not subject to the Clean Water Act, and voluntary conservation programs seem to have at best kept pace with the expansion of large-scale farming.</p><p>After analyzing these issues and providing policy advice on them for much of my 45-year career, it's frustrating to see so little change. But I am hopeful that current work that addresses agricultural pollution in broader contexts may have an impact.</p><p>For example, recent reports connecting <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31788-4" target="_blank">reduced meat consumption</a> to both positive environmental effects and improved health should provide additional incentives for change. <a href="https://www.wri.org/publication/creating-sustainable-food-future#main-content" target="_blank">Research institutes</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-102017-025957" target="_blank">scholars</a> are laying out comprehensive global pathways to more sustainable agriculture that are designed to feed the world and protect and restore natural ecosystems.</p><p>My hope lies in the combination of health- and market-driven movement toward plant-based meat substitutes and enlightened policies that support more sustainable practices in agriculture's critical role of providing food and fiber to the world.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Near Record ‘Dead Zone’ Predicted for Gulf of Mexico <a href="https://t.co/glpoleJ4ih">https://t.co/glpoleJ4ih</a></p>— Enviro Voter Project (@Enviro_Voter) <a href="https://twitter.com/Enviro_Voter/status/1138838616216604673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p>
<em>Donald Scavia is professor emeritus at the School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan.<br/>
</em><em>Disclosure statement: Donald Scavia has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Erb Family Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, and the C.S. Mott Foundation.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-your-diet-contributes-to-nutrient-pollution-and-dead-zones-in-lakes-and-bays-118902" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
</p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118902/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>From Your Site Articles
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If you're looking to cool off in the waters of Mississippi's Gulf Coast, think again.
<p>A toxic algal bloom has made the waters dangerous to humans and their pets. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality has shut down swimming at all of its beaches due to a blue-green harmful algal bloom, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/07/us/mississippi-beaches-algae-closure-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</p><p>Toxic algae are dangerous to touch and poisonous when swallowed. It can cause rashes, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, the state agency warned. </p>
<p>While the sand on the beaches is still open, the state's DEQ said beachgoers should avoid water contact or consumption of anything from the waters "until further notice," as <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/07/us/mississippi-beaches-algae-closure-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">CNN</a> reported. The agency also advised anyone exposed to the water to wash with soap and water and to not eat fish or any other seafood taken from affected areas.</p><p>The blooms are not technically algae, but cyanobacteria — aquatic and photosynthetic bacteria. Many things, including changes in water temperature and fertilizer run-off, can trigger its bloom. Once the conditions are right for the cyanobacteria to spawn rapidly, they produce harmful toxins, as <a href="https://theweek.com/speedreads/851336/toxic-algae-bloom-forces-mississippi-close-all-states-beaches" target="_blank">The Week</a> reported. </p><p>"I had a feeling it was going this way. Water always flows west to east," Pascagoula resident Bill Kenan <a href="https://www.wlox.com/2019/07/08/pascagoula-last-coastal-town-join-algae-related-water-advisory/" target="_blank">told Biloxi ABC affiliate WLOX</a>. "It just keeps going and going and going. I don't know if it's ever going to get better. I hope it does."</p><p>The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis">climate crisis</a> and increases in nutrient levels of bodies of water due to fertilizer run-off are potentially causing harmful algal blooms to occur more often and in areas not previously affected, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/officials-close-mississippi-beaches-due-blue-green-harmful/story?id=64185978" target="_blank">ABC News</a> reported. Warmer waters with a marked increase in surface temperature or a change in sea currents are particularly susceptible to the bloom. A harmful algal bloom can look like foam, scum or mats on the surface of water and can be different colors, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/habs/index.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>.</p>
<p>This bloom was triggered in part by the opening of the Bonnet Carre spillway in Louisiana, which introduced an excessive amount of freshwater to the coastline, according to the <a href="https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2019/07/07/breaking-mississippi-closes-all-beaches-toxic-algae-bloom-blankets-states-coast/1667999001/" target="_blank">Jackson Clarion-Ledger</a>.</p><p>The spillway was opened to offset a rising Mississippi River that experienced massive swelling after an especially wet winter that caused flooding in along the river's coastlines.</p><p>The spillway is expected to close mid-July after the river's waters recede. Experts believe its closure will prompt the algae bloom to dissipate. "Once they close the structure, conditions will start to change pretty quickly," said John Lopez, of Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, a conservation organization that monitors water conditions throughout the Gulf Coast region, as reported by <a href="https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/algae-bloom-closes-more-beaches-as-bonnet-carre-spillway-stays-open/289-32970260-b9a5-4790-b0ab-45d8c82f2f0d" target="_blank">CBS New Orleans</a>.</p><p>That prognosis will offer little relief to residents and tourists along the Mississippi Gulf Coast where temperatures will hover in the mid-90s all week. </p>
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Algae blooms in Lake Erie. NASA
By Anne Schechinger
Over the Fourth of July holiday, many of us love to beat the heat in a favorite lake, pond or river. But this year, vacationers from coast to coast will have to look out for a potentially record-breaking number of algae blooms.
<p><span></span></p><p>So far this year there have been news stories about 107 algae outbreaks, compared to just 63 this time last year. That's a 70 percent increase. EWG's <a href="https://www.ewg.org/interactive-maps/2019_algal_blooms/map/" target="_blank">interactive map</a> tracks news reports of blue-green algae blooms across the country since 2010, and this year is on track to have the most so far.</p>
<p>Recreating in or near water stricken by an algae bloom can lead to <a href="https://static.ewg.org/reports/2018/algalblooms/img/EWG_AlgalBloomGraphics_Table_C05.pdf?_ga=2.134167053.285444611.1562007818-1730736141.1562007818" target="_blank">serious</a> health consequences. Short-term exposure — whether through skin contact or ingestion — to the toxins sometimes produced by algae outbreaks has been linked to sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and liver damage.</p><p>These outbreaks don't just affect peoples' health, they also hurt their wallets. Algae keeps people away from businesses near affected lakes, such as marinas and restaurants.</p><p><a href="https://www.nj.com/news/2019/06/10-questions-and-answers-about-the-toxic-algae-bloom-in-lake-hopatcong.html" target="_blank">Lake Hopatcong,</a> in New Jersey, is currently suffering the biggest bloom ever recorded in the state. Hopatcong Mayor Mike Francis <a href="https://nj1015.com/harmful-slime-invades-njs-largest-lake-devastating-economy/" target="_blank">says</a> it could have devastating impacts on the health of residents and his town's economy. </p><p>In many cases, algae outbreaks are preventable. Reducing the amount of chemicals that run off farm fields can greatly reduce the number and severity of blooms in agricultural areas.</p><p>Lake Macbride, in Iowa, is an <a href="https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/2019/06/26/too-toxic-swim-lake-macbride-cautions-visitors-against-swimming/1570541001/" target="_blank">example</a> of a lake surrounded by farmland that has algae bloom and E. coli problems. Mandated agricultural conservation practices could go a long way toward cleaning up water bodies like Lake Macbride. </p><p>If you plan a lake outing this holiday, it's vital to know what to look for to figure out whether a toxic blue-green algae bloom is present in the water. Before your next trip to a lake, check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsgg2rqPKEE&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">our new video</a> to find out.</p>
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The Lady K tow boat kicks up a wake full of green algae a few hundred feet from the city of Toledo's Water Intake on Lake Erie, for testing on Monday, Aug. 4, 2014. Ty Wright / The Washington Post / Getty Images
By Valerie Vande Panne
In February, the voters of Toledo, Ohio, passed a ballot initiative that gives Lake Erie and those who rely on the lake's ecosystem a bill of rights. The idea is to protect and preserve the ecosystem so that the life that depends on it — humans included — can have access to safe, fresh drinking water.
<p>On the surface, it seems pretty logical: Humans need water to survive, and if an ecosystem that is relied on for water—in this case, Lake Erie — is polluted (in this case, with algae), then the Lake Erie Bill of Rights (or LEBOR) would ensure the rights of humans would come before the polluters (in this case, big agriculture).</p>
<p>Except, that's not what's happening.</p><p>Rather, in a perhaps unsurprising move, the state of Ohio has at once both acknowledged rights of nature to exist, and taken them away, with a line written in, of all things, the state <a href="https://www.ocj.com/2019/05/state-budget-clears-house-moves-to-senate/" target="_blank">budget</a>: "<a href="https://tinyurl.com/yxot2uxk" target="_blank">Nature or any ecosystem</a> does not have standing to participate in or bring an action in any court of common pleas."</p><p>"It's not surprising that the Ohio legislature has the shameful distinction of being the first in the country to specifically name ecosystem rights — trying to quash them rather than taking the lead in recognizing them," the <a href="https://celdf.org/2019/05/media-statement-the-first-state-in-u-s-history-has-mentioned-legal-rights-of-nature/" target="_blank">Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund</a> (CELDF), which was involved in the initiative and is experienced with rights of nature laws and actions, said in a press release. The Lake Erie Bill of Rights has received international acclaim.</p><p>Last week, a judge ruled Toledoans for Safe Water, the local group behind the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, cannot defend the voter-passed initiative in a lawsuit brought by a factory farm against the city over the initiative. Yet, the state of Ohio is being permitted to support the farm in the lawsuit against the city.</p><p>Big agriculture, of course, is the primary source of nutrient pollution that has caused algae blooms that have denied half a million people access to clean, safe drinking water, sometimes for days at a time.</p><p>Markie Miller, Toledo resident and concerned citizen with Toledoans for Safe Water, said the new barriers to implementing LEBOR shows the citizens are on to something. "Obviously we're doing something right, because we're scaring the <a href="https://ofbf.org/" target="_blank">Farm Bureau</a>."</p><p>As the lawsuit is set to proceed as of this writing, the judge said there was no need for the two sides (the farm or the city) to file briefs, and would, rather than hold a hearing, have a phone call on May 17. The call would be closed to the public, and without briefs, the public — who passed the initiative by more than 60 percent of the vote — will not have access to the arguments being used.</p><p>Meanwhile, according to a recent report released by the United Nations, "one million plant and animal species are on the verge of extinction, with alarming implications for human survival," the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/05/06/one-million-species-face-extinction-un-panel-says-humans-will-suffer-result/" target="_blank">Washington Post</a> reported.</p><p>The report specifically attributes the die-off to human activity. Worse, it points to an inevitable collapse of the natural world humans rely on for food and water.</p>
<p>"Nature's current rate of decline is unparalleled, and the accelerating rate of extinctions 'means grave impacts on people around the world are now likely,'" reported the Washington Post.<br></p><p>"All the studies say we need drastic action. If we think the courts are going to save the plants or the animals," said Tish O'Dell, Ohio community organizer with CELDF, "they aren't."</p><p>O'Dell points to the fact that the people who passed the law aren't part of the lawsuit trying to prevent its implementation, and to the fact that the state of Ohio is intervening on the side of the factory farm, "Not on the side of the people — and denies the people and the lake the right to intervene."</p><p>Laws should reflect our values, O'Dell continues. She supports a culture shift to curb the rapid decline of the natural world humans rely on. The change may take time, O'Dell said, saying, "It's like [with] segregation. That lunch counter moment, it wasn't in the courts. It was the pushing and the pushing," that shifted the courts. "That's what we have to do. As we get more and more people saying nature should have rights, doing their own laws and their own actions, it'll start shifting things."</p><p>While this shift could take time, we don't have 150 years to push or wait for nature to have the right to exist.</p><p>"We talk about climate change. It's climate crisis. In my opinion, they're committing crimes against humanity. It's homicide and ecocide. We have the scientific studies these species will go extinct. It's homicide because humans won't be able to live," O'Dell said. "We need to start getting more blunt about what is happening."</p><p>"People think the corporation is the problem," she continued, but cautions against blaming the farming industry or the oil and gas industries for our current situation: "It's your own government that's the problem, because they're protecting them."</p><p>It seems, then, we are in a time when corporations are considered people and their rights are preserved, and the rights of people — actual humans — to have access to the single thing they absolutely must have to survive, clean drinking water — are denied.</p><p>"If they think they've prevented this movement, all they've done is fired people up," Miller added.</p>
<p> <em> Valerie Vande Panne is a writing fellow and chief correspondent at <a href="https://independentmediainstitute.org/local-peace-economy/" target="_blank">Local Peace Economy</a>, a project of the Independent Media Institute. She is an independent journalist whose work has appeared in Columbia Journalism Review, In These Times, Politico, and many other publications.</em></p><p><em>This article was produced by </em><a href="https://independentmediainstitute.org/local-peace-economy/" target="_blank"><em>Local Peace Economy</em></a><em>, a project of the Independent Media Institute.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Gilles Messian / Flickr / CC BY 2.0
There are growing concerns about both the safety and proliferation of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller.
<p>Those concerns are part of the reason that the city of Miami passed a unanimous resolution last Thursday banning the spraying of glyphosate by city departments or contractors, environmental group <a href="https://www.miamiwaterkeeper.org/" target="_blank">Miami Waterkeeper </a><a href="https://www.miamiwaterkeeper.org/city_of_miami_will_no_longer_use_round_up" target="_blank">reported</a>.</p><p>"Banning the use of glyphosate is a great first step to take in improving water quality," the group said, according to <a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/city-of-miami-bans-use-of-herbicides-containing-glyphosate-11100953" target="_blank">The Miami New Times</a>. "It is also beneficial to public health, as citizens of the city of Miami won't be exposed to harmful <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/chemicals" target="_self">chemicals</a>."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-twitter_embed">
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<p>Miami officials are specifically concerned that runoff containing glyphosate might have contributed to the recent blue-green algae bloom and red tide that <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/floridas-algae-crisis-2594563082.html" target="_self">impacted the state last year</a>.<br></p><p>This is the reason that Miami Commissioner Ken Russell began to look into the city's use of herbicides. He spoke to Miami Director of Resiliency and Public Works Alan Dodd, who told him that the city had been using 4,800 gallons of glyphosate a year to kill weeds on Miami's streets and sidewalks. Dodd stopped this particular use of the herbicide, but Russell decided to sponsor a ban so that other departments would also stop using the controversial weedkiller.. </p><p>"Water quality issues are so important to the city of Miami, and we can be one of the worst polluters as a municipality," Russell told The Miami New Times. "We ask for residents to make a change in their habits and that they be conscious of what they put in their gardens, but when I realized the totality of what the city uses at any given time, we had to change our habits."</p>
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<p>The resolution went into effective immediately after its passage, The Miami New Times reported, and was co-sponsored by Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez, according to Miami Waterkeeper.<br></p><p>Waterkeeper Waterkeeper explained further why herbicides were harmful to waterways and marine environments:</p><blockquote> Herbicides and fertilizers are often applied in excess to lawns and landscapes and can be lost to the environment in stormwater runoff and can degrade the water quality of streams, rivers, canals, lakes, and coastal waters. They can also contribute to the creation of harmful algal blooms and the destruction of critically important habitats like sea grass beds and coral reefs. </blockquote><p>The cities of Miami Beach and Stuart have also banned glyphosate.</p><p>Miami's decision came <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/glyphosate-beer-wine-2630077686.html" target="_self">three days</a> after a study found glyphosate in 19 of 20 popular U.S. beers and wines tested and the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/glyphosate-cancer-2628948966.html" target="_self">same month</a> that another study found that those frequently exposed to glyphosate were 41 percent more likely to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma. </p><p>While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/epa" target="_self">EPA</a>) says that glyphosate does not cause cancer in humans, the World Health Organization's <a href="https://www.iarc.fr/" target="_blank">International Agency for Research on Cancer</a> ruled it was a probable human carcinogen in 2015. </p><p>The first U.S. federal trial claiming Roundup use caused the plaintiff's cancer also began in February.</p>
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New Investigation: Surge of Poultry Factory Farms in North Carolina Added Waste From 515.3M Chickens to That of 9.7M Hogs
13 February 2019
Insights + Opinion
A "chicken confinement system" in North Carolina. Friends of Family Farmers / CC BY-ND 2.0
North Carolina, a state known for the devastating environmental and public health impacts of industrial-scale hog production, now has more than twice as many poultry factory farms as swine operations, according to a new investigation from the Environmental Working Group and Waterkeeper Alliance.
The groups' research found that in 2018, manure from 515.3 million chickens and turkeys joined the waste from 9.7 million hogs already fouling waters and threatening North Carolinians' health. By scouring satellite data, examining U.S. Department of Agriculture imagery and conducting site visits, EWG and Waterkeeper experts identified more than 4,700 poultry and about 2,100 swine concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOS.
<p>The analysis comes as state regulators are debating the terms of the state permit regulating waste management from swine CAFOs. </p><p>"If you're setting standards for pig waste, you can't ignore the recent explosive growth of the poultry industry, which has largely flown under the radar," said Soren Rundquist, EWG director of spatial analysis.</p><p>The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, or DEQ, is required to update its CAFO waste permits every five years and is currently gathering public and industry input on the swine permit. The agency must consider the cumulative impact of similar operations—hogs, poultry and cattle—on the environment.</p><p>DEQ's top CAFO regulator<a href="https://www.ewg.org/release/court-documents-reveal-woefully-lax-inspections-nc-factory-farms" target="_blank"> recently admitted to lax enforcement in the agency's oversight of swine operations</a>. And in 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency opened <a href="http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2018/05/03/environmental-justice-groups-reach-settlement-with-deq-over-federal-complaint-hog-farms/" target="_blank">an investigation</a> into whether the state's management of swine facilities and their waste discriminates against African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans, as described <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-05/documents/letter_of_concern_to_william_g_ross_nc_deq_re_admin_complaint_11r-14-r4_.pdf" target="_blank">in this letter from EPA to the DEQ</a>. A settlement was reached last May.</p><p>Although the state implemented a moratorium on new swine operations in 1997, the poultry industry has tripled since then—from <a href="http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/AgCensusImages/2002/01/33/1703/Table-27.pdf" target="_blank">147 million birds</a> to 515.3 million today. </p><p>"Most of the poultry industry operates largely with impunity," said Will Hendrick, staff attorney for Waterkeeper Alliance. "Unfortunately, there is a lot of geographic overlap of poultry and swine operations, particularly in the coastal plain. That means North Carolina's rivers, already choking on millions of gallons of pig manure, are now forced to cope with tons of chicken waste, as well."</p><p>In Duplin and Sampson counties—historically the epicenter of hog pollution—nearly 82 million chickens and turkeys are now packed in among four million pigs.</p><p>People who live near or work on swine CAFOs are more likely to suffer from potentially deadly diseases like asthma, bacterial infections and high blood pressure, according to <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-and-analysis/2018/09/duke-university-study-nc-residents-living-near-large-hog-farms-have" target="_blank">a 2018 Duke University study</a>. In four recent federal lawsuits, juries have found in favor of North Carolina neighbors of CAFOs, although the state legislature <a href="http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2018/06/14/industry-bill-to-limit-nuisance-suits-against-hog-operations-nearing-final-passage/" target="_blank">has made such lawsuits much more difficult to file</a>.</p><p>Nutrient pollution from the nitrogen and phosphorus found in farm animal waste can cause issues like toxic <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/algae">algae</a> blooms that kill fish and other <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/marine-life">marine life</a>, choke out native plants and contaminate <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drinking-water">drinking water</a>. Due to the rapid growth of the industry, poultry operations are now a <a href="https://ncdenr.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Environmental%20Management%20Commission/Water_Quality_Committee_Meetings/2017/March/Attachments/Basinwide%20Manure%20Production%20Report%20%20Appendices.pdf" target="_blank">much larger source of nutrient pollution </a>in North Carolina than swine farms.</p><p>Many North Carolina CAFOs are located in areas prone to <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding">flooding</a>, especially as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">climate-change</a>-related weather leads to more frequent, more severe storms. Although the 1997 hog operation moratorium was precipitated by <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricanes">hurricanes</a> hammering farms in North Carolina floodplains, at least 74 poultry farms have been built in floodplains, many along three rivers—the Lumber, Neuse and Cape Fear—that flooded <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2018/09/17/florence-aftermath-rivers-are-rising-carolinas-cresting-record-levels/?utm_term=.0be72ed5946b" target="_blank">during both Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018</a>.</p><p>Poultry waste, which is mixed with carcasses and bedding to form a substance called dry litter, is stored in large piles before being applied to farm fields. It can easily be blown by wind or washed by rain into nearby <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/rivers">rivers</a>.</p><p>"There is ample evidence factory farm pollution simply doesn't stay on farms," Rundquist said. "As DEQ finalizes the swine waste standards, it must account for the enormous recent growth of the poultry industry. The health of North Carolinians and their environment depend on it."</p><p>On Jan. 31, the North Carolina DEQ <a href="https://deq.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2019/01/30/state-announces-public-comment-period-public-meetings-draft-animal" target="_blank">announced a 30-day public comment period</a> on CAFO waste permits, as well as two public meetings. The first meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 19 at James Sprunt Community College in Kenansville. The second will be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 26 at Statesville Civic Center in Statesville.</p>
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