1440 http://www.islaearth.org/ en-us 2006 Catalina Island Conservancy Isla Earth Exploring Environmental Issues of Global Importance. Isla Earth, a production of the Catalina Island Conservancy, is a radio series exploring environmental issues of local, national, and global importance. Our mission is to increase ecological awareness, deepen understanding, and encourage environmentally sustainable choices. no Catalina Island Conservancy Researchers from the College of Forestry at Oregon State University recently received a Presidential citation for developing an environmentally friendly wood adhesive. Previously, adhesives used to make wood products like plywood, particle- and fiber board contained formaldehyde, known to cause cancer. The new product is made of protein harvested from soy beans and is formaldehyde free. Plus, it's stronger than conventional adhesives yet costs about the same. In 2006, the company licensed to produce the new glue estimated that it replaced more than 47 million gallons of other adhesives. And a study has determined that companies using it in the wood manufacturing process reduced their discharge of hazardous emissions by as much as 90 percent. The new soy-based adhesive may also help make U.S. manufactured wood products more competitive on the world market, provide new markets for soy bean farmers, and decrease our dependence on foreign sources of natural gas which are used to make formaldehyde. It just goes to show what can be accomplished by looking for new ways of making familiar products -- and, adhering to environmentally friendly principles. Script by Stephen Webb http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1283497200 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:52 Catalina Island Conservancy i-Pods powered by Kool-Aid? Yep. They might be just around the corner -- no kidding! Researchers are developing biodegradable batteries that generate electricity from sugared drinks. These sweet little power packs use enzymes to break down sugars, producing electricity in the process. Shelly Minteer, an electro-chemist at St. Louis University, recently unveiled a sugar-powered calculator. The battery -- about the size of a postage stamp -- runs on flat sodas, sweetened drink mixes, or ordinary sugar water. Minteer says sugar batteries may one day power your cell phone or iPod -- even your laptop. They'll probably last three to four times longer than batteries you're using now. And, unlike traditional batteries that contain toxic heavy metals, all the materials used to make sugar batteries are biodegradable. That's great news for the environment, because heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury often wind up in landfills, where they can leach into soils and contaminate groundwater. Who needs that? So, when will these eco-friendly marvels hit the market? Minteer says a commercial product may be available in three to five years. And that's sweet music to our ears. Script by Dan Maxwell http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1283410800 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:56 Catalina Island Conservancy Humans aren't the only ones collecting frequent flier miles. Turns out bugs, seeds and pathogens are frequently hitching rides on airplanes as stowaways. Mostly accidentally, and mostly harmless. But it's a concern, says Andy Tatem, of the University of Florida's Emerging Pathogens Institute, because our skies are getting busy. Each year, more than 35 million flights travel almost forty five thousand routes. That's more flying and more stowaways than ever. Most hitchhikers are harmless on their own turf. But take a species that's adapted to one locale and move it, and circumstances might be just right for it to take root, or take over. How do they hitch a ride? Easily. Mosquitoes just buzz in. People tuck fruit in their suitcases, and seeds sometimes simply stick to the soles of travelers' shoes. Most airports don't have the inspection and quarantine capabilities in place to catch the sneakiest of stowaways. But that's changing. Maui, Hawaii's Kahului airport, for example, has a new state-of-the-art inspection facility where staff scrutinizes 30 thousand tons of cargo that pass through every year. You can help to by following regulations about transporting fruits, vegetables and plants. And clean the soles of your shoes! Script by Bob Rhein http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1283324400 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:59 Catalina Island Conservancy Remember that old-fashioned mode of transportation -- the trolley, or streetcar? It's making a comeback worldwide. From Albuquerque to Winston-Salem, from Algeria to Vietnam, light rail systems are under construction or in planning. In fact, the International Association of Public Transportation estimates that the length of light-rail track around the world will increase 40 percent by 2020. These solutions, however, come with a price. A single tram costs nearly $3 million dollars, compared with under $500,000 for one of the new extended-length buses. And yes, light-rail systems, especially those built from scratch, lack the flexibility of a bus. But, a light-rail system can carry more people than the average bus and is about 10 times cheaper than building a freeway. And, because most light-rail systems run on electricity -- unlike most buses and automobiles -- there aren't the carbon dioxide exhaust fumes to worry about. Just think, the first electric streetcars introduced more than a hundred years ago were really ahead of their time. Like the old lyric says, everything old is new again! Script by Bob Rhein http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1283238000 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:55 Catalina Island Conservancy You think gas is expensive? What about the price of platinum? Believe it or not, that's one of the things the automotive industry is looking at before deciding to make the switch to fuel-cell powered vehicles. That's because platinum is the catalyst used to convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity inside automotive fuel cells. And before cars using them can compete with their gasoline counterparts, the price of platinum has to come down. Fortunately, a research team from the University of Houston believes they've achieved this with a new platinum alloy. According to team leader, Professor Peter Strasser, it's up to six times more efficient and cheaper than current catalysts." With it, he says "cost has reached an important target set by fuel cell developers and the U.S. Department of Energy." Results so far are encouraging. If additional testing is successful, that's one less barrier preventing manufacturer's from making more fuel-cell powered, non-polluting cars. And, one step closer to making them affordable for consumers to drive on our nation's roads. On the other hand, there still won't be a less expensive substitute for platinum wedding rings. Sorry boys. Script by Stephen Webb http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1283151600 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:58 Catalina Island Conservancy Changing seasons in New England is well, second nature. But a change in the look of the season is a change that has folks concerned. Each autumn, millions of tourists trek to the state to witness the brilliant displays of reds, oranges and yellows produced by fall foliage. But with colors starting to fade -- and even disappear -- one of the regions leading industries is at risk. Tom Vogelmann, a plant biologist from the University of Vermont, says the seasonal phenomenon the area is famous for is "nothing like it used to be." And he attributes the dulling down of tree leaves to warmer temperatures there. It seems cold nights are required to quickly cut off the flow of chlorophyll in order for leaves to produce bright colors. But with a trend towards warmer temperatures throughout the Northeast, there are fewer cold nights. New England tourism officials and inn keepers are hoping climate change isn't the culprit, and that the subdued hues of their trees is just a temporary aberration. Because, when the leaves burst into a riot of colors, it means more satisfied visitors giving them more green. Script by Stephen Webb http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1282892400 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:55 Catalina Island Conservancy When it comes to selling solar cells, it pays to be cheap -- and thin. At least that's what Professor Ken Durose at England's Durham University is banking on. He and his colleagues at the University's Center for Renewable Energy are involved in a four-year study to find ways of making solar cells less expensive, and thinner for easier use in more applications. Durose believes that if solar panels were cheap enough, and people could buy a system off the shelf that provided for even a fraction of their energy needs, they would do it. But, he contends, that product doesn't exist at the moment. Up to now, solar cells have required the use of indium -- a rare and expensive metal. And besides finding a cheaper material to replace indium, the group is also looking for ways to make solar cells thinner. Thinner cells, for example, would more easily fit on roof tops for powering homes. Durose concludes that when solar panels can be made thinner and less expensive, they'll be a winning product. And clean-burning solar energy will be a bigger slice of the energy pie. Script by Stephen Webb http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1282806000 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:54 Catalina Island Conservancy Hooray for building environmentally friendly schools! But what about improving existing ones? Most schools in the United States were built back in the day, when architects didn't factor in energy conservation, sustainable materials or a building's effects on students' health or performance. It's a subject that architecture professor Ihab Elzeyadi of the University of Oregon knows well. He says forty percent of our nation's older classrooms are in poor environmental shape and compromise health and learning for 14 million students. Elzeyadi says there's plenty of green guidelines for new schools, but little about retrofitting older ones. And nothing connecting retrofitting to student health. So he gathered retrofitting ideas from experts, then scoured research on the health impacts of building green. Next he tested and tested on models. Results? A few, simple green retrofits can impact both energy consumption and student health. For instance, using green building best practices can reduce energy consumption by 50 percent and reduce the number of colds and flu by 51 percent. Elzeyadi had compiled 20 such retrofits in what he calls a "Green Classroom Toolbox." Each idea is linked to research showing its impact on student health and academic performance. Script by Bob Rhein http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1282719600 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:56 Catalina Island Conservancy "Cradle-to-Cradle" is the newest buzz in green manufacturing circles. It's the next evolution of the idea of "Cradle-to-Grave, " where recycled materials are used in the manufacture of new products. "Cradle-to-Cradle" takes it a step further. That process requires that at the end of an item's second life, the materials must be able to be resurrected in a virtually endless cycle of reincarnation that would have even the Dali Lama's head spinning! Last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce launched its Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative which urges Cradle-to-Cradle manufacturing practices. But years before, forward thinkers were already embracing the approach. Furniture manufacturer Steelcase has made sustainability a core value that guides its designers. The company's "Think Chair" was the world's first product to be "Cradle-to-Cradle Certified" -- a sought-after designation of the visionary process design firm MBDC. The chair is made of 37 percent recycled materials and is almost entirely recyclable. Even a lowly soda can could get a third, fourth, or tenth chance to evolve perhaps into the frame of a swank Think Chair. People should be so lucky! Script by Leslie Baer http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1282633200 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:59 Catalina Island Conservancy It's no news flash that, over the years, one of the dirtiest sources of energy has been coal; in fact, it's among the top contributors to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The challenge, according to the U.S. government's Energy Information Administration, is that coal accounts for about fifty percent of all the energy produced in the U.S. Luckily, new technologies already in use are making coal a cleaner-burning fuel. Coal gasification is based on a technology that's been around since the 1850s. Rather than burning coal directly, it's exposed to steam and oxygen under high temperatures and pressures. The chemical reaction produces gases. So, how "green" is it? Well, the byproduct from coal gasification, hydrogen, is considered one of the cleanest burning fuels on earth. Yet, there is still the environmental impact of mining coal and transporting it. And, the process itself has a few glitches, like it still has carbon as part of the mix. While scientists continue looking for ways to capture and get rid of carbon for good, like burying it underground, reducing your own energy needs will help. After all, one bright idea deserves another! Script by Bob Rhein http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1282546800 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:38 Catalina Island Conservancy Ok, so here's a quick quiz for you. What does U.S.D.A. stand for? Right: the United States Department of Agriculture! Now, what do they do? Gotcha! Turns out they do a lot -- everything to do with food in fact: From seed to harvest, from production to plate. Now what about a "5 a Day." Sound familiar? Nope, that's not a U.S.D.A. program. But, 5 a Day's success depends on the U.S.D.A.'s success! 5 a Day is a program that began with funding from the National Cancer Institute. It's named for the five fresh fruits and vegetables they suggest you eat daily to stay healthier. The U.S.D.A.'s mission is to make sure our food is safe, that there's enough, and that people have access to it. Fruits and veggies come courtesy of Mother Nature, true. But it's the U.S.D.A. that monitors watersheds to ensure clean water for crops, monitors the health of bees used for pollination, and aids farmers in getting the highest yields possible. Their vigilance makes sure you can get your 5 a Day. The U.S.D.A.'s 2009 budget of $95 billion covers a lot of ground, quite literally. Script by Pat Florez http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1282287600 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:57 Catalina Island Conservancy The hand bone's connected to the wrist bone, the wrist bone's connected to the arm bone, and so on and so on. That was a great campfire song. Turns out it illustrates a key environmental concept as well. Here's how. Researchers from Yale and Louisiana State Universities, treasure hunters of sorts, discovered a collection of hundred-year-old data in the attic of a New Orleans water treatment plant. The old documents provided scientists with a peek back in time at the water quality of the Mississippi as it poured into the Gulf of Mexico. They concluded that farming practices -- like modern irrigation and drainage -- are most likely responsible for the increases in the amount of water and carbon in the Mississippi. The river meanders down through the Midwest states to the ocean. The ocean then absorbs the carbon dioxide the river contained and becomes more acidic, which in turn makes it more difficult for creatures like crabs and lobsters to form hard shells. So, here's the refrain to our little song. The carbon runoff is connected to the cornfield that's connected to the stream, that's connected to the ocean, that's connected to the crab... that could have been your dinner! You get the picture. Script by Bob Rhein http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1282201200 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 03:01 Catalina Island Conservancy The U.S. West Coast took a stress test recently and things aren't looking so good. In the two-year study marine ecologists at the University of California at Santa Barbara looked at trends of how humans impact ocean ecosystems. The researchers examined commercial shipping and other water activities, of course. But also, climate change. And, especially, "land-based stressors," or the activities of humans on land that affect oceans. All-told, they overlaid data from 25 stressors, with data on each marine ecosystem along the coast. The results were surprising. It turns out every single spot of ocean along the West Coast is affected by 10 to 15 human activities every year. Climate change, fishing and commercial shipping topped the list, but other stressors cause noticeable harm in specific areas or "hot spots." Fertilizer run-off, for example, strongly impacts salt marches, but less so if it meets the water at reefs. Philip Taylor, of the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences, which funded the project, says the results show we must coordinate land and ocean management. The study provides valuable information to managers and policymakers as they work to improve and sustain our oceans' health. Script by Gail Davis http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1282114800 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:57 Catalina Island Conservancy Let's hear it for "agrichar"! Why? First, because agrichar is a carbon byproduct of pyrolysis, a process that involves heating crop waste in the absence of oxygen to produce clean, renewable energy. Secondly, because agrichar dramatically improves crop yields when it's added to soil. In one study recently conducted in Australia, it tripled the biomass of wheat, and more than doubled it for soybeans. It also reduced the need for additional fertilizer and increased the soil's water-holding capacity. Last, but definitely not least, agrichar locks carbon into the soil for far longer than ordinary compost, mulch or crop residue. Up to hundreds of years, in fact, as compared to just two or three. And since soil is the biggest storage pool of carbon-based greenhouse gases on land, agrichar has great potential for taking a bite out of global warming. Assuming pyrolysis catches on as an alternative fuel source for consumers, agrichar will become widely available for farmers to use on their fields. And when that happens, it'll be a win, win, win situation for everyone who wants a cleaner, healthier environment. Script by Stephen Webb http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1282028400 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:56 Catalina Island Conservancy Remember mowing your grandparent's lawn with a push mower? Back then, the older generation had push mowers. Everyone else was into power. Muscle cars. Muscle mowers. And heaven help the kid who was spotted using a push mower. It just wasn't cool. But times are changing. The old-fashioned, environmentally friendly push mower is making a come-back. Terri McClain of American Lawn Mower Company thinks as many as 350,000 push mowers sold last year. Compared to six million new power mowers, that may not sound like a lot. But it's a hefty increase over what sold just a couple years ago. People like that push mowers are simple to use. And new materials make the latest generation light -- nothing like the monster that sat in grandpa's garage. But best of all, push mowers are quiet, clean mowing machines: No engine means less noise, no fossil fuels and no pollution. But wait, there's more. Thirty minutes of mowing the lawn burns up to 486 calories -- a pretty hip benefit for folks of all ages. Script by Dan Maxwell http://www.islaearth.org/radio/show.php?_sid=1281942000 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 02:57