In reaction to the publication today (Friday 8 July 2005) of the G8 communique on climate change, Lord May of Oxford, President of the Royal Society, said:

“At the heart of this communique is a disappointing failure by the leaders of the G8 unequivocally to recognise the urgency with which we must be addressing the global threat of climate change. Make no mistake, the science already justifies reversing not merely slowing the global growth of greenhouse gas emissions. It is the responsibility of the leaders of the G8 nations to respond to this. And further delays will make the G8s avowed commitment in this communique to avoid dangerous impacts of climate change extremely difficult.

“The conspicuous failure of the G8 explicitly to mention even the need for targets to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases underlines our concern.

“Opening yet another dialogue is not a sufficient response. We have been talking instead of acting since 1992, when the international community in the form of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change recognised that we are facing an international threat. In its communique the G8 talks of facing a moment of opportunity while, at the same time, turning away from that moment.

“Doing our best to look on the bright side, we welcome the G8s recognition of the undeniable fact that climate change is happening and that it is humans that are largely responsible for it. Furthermore we also welcome the G8s commitment to work with developing countries, to build their own capacity to manage their emissions and to adapt to the effects of climate change.”

In June 2005 the national science academies of the G8 nations, along with China, Brazil and India, published a statement that said the scientific evidence on climate change is now clear enough for the leaders of G8 to commit to take prompt action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

Original press release: Royal Society reacts to G8 climate change communique (Royal Society)

An international team of marine research scientists working for the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) have found new evidence that links catastrophic sand avalanches in deep Gulf waters to rapid sea level changes. By analyzing downhole measurements and freshly retrieved sediment cores, IODP scientists are reconstructing the history of a basin formed approximately 20,000 years ago, when sea level fell so low that the Texas shoreline shifted almost 100 miles to the south. The data are important to reconstructing climate change history and gathering insights about the development and placement of natural resources, particularly gas and oil deposits.

“The basin we chose to study is the ultimate sink of sediments transported by the Brazos and Trinity Rivers,” explains co-chief scientist Peter Flemings of Pennsylvania State University’s Geosciences Department. “Over the last 120,000 years, the basin accumulated enough sand and mud to cover the entire city of Houston with a 20-foot thick layer.” During the last glacial period, sediments discharged by rivers such as the Brazos and Trinity formed beaches and deltas near the continental shelf’s edge. Catastrophic submarine sand avalanches, called turbidity currents, carried the sediments into the deep-water Gulf of Mexico, where they accumulated in bowl-shaped basins. A map of the area under study is online at http://iodp.tamu.edu/scienceops/expeditions/exp308.html

Carlos Pirmez, a research geologist with Shell International E&P in Houston and a member of the science party explains, “Bowl-shaped basins such as the Brazos Basin IV are now buried thousands of meters beneath the Gulf of Mexico seafloor and host billions of barrels of oil and gas. Sediment records we acquire from the young basin off Texan shores will boost our understanding of how deeply buried reservoirs are formed, and how oil and gas can be drained from them more effectively.”

Jan Behrmann, Fleming�s co-chief and a professor at Germany’s University of Freiburg emphasizes that, “The goal of this expedition is not to explore or drill for oil, which lies much deeper than the sediments we recovered. But in the next several months, this science party will analyze sediment samples and will gain understanding of when and how turbidities form. We will then have a better picture of why and where these important deposits are formed.”

The expedition scientists plan to obtain detailed measurements of changes in sediment and fluid properties to enable prediction of the mechanics of catastrophic underwater flows known as turbidity currents. These currents are akin to underwater avalanches and carry large amounts of sand and mud in suspension, sometimes for hundreds of miles, at speeds up to 70 miles per hour near the seabed. Sediments from these currents constitute an important piece of evidence in the study of sea level and climate change. Often, large petroleum reservoirs are found in the porous and permeable turbidite sands in deep water.

The expedition is operating from the JOIDES Resolution, the U.S.-operated riserless drill ship operated for IODP by the JOI Alliance: the Joint Oceanographic Institutions, Texas A & M University, and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. The expedition is expected to return to port on July 10.

Original press release: Scientists Find Evidence Of Catastrophic Sand Avalanches, Sea Level Changes In Gulf Of Mexico (NASA Earth Observatory)

CSIRO scientists will meet with international experts in Cairns and Darwin next week to discuss a wide range of issues facing the world’s oceans.

Along with representatives of over 20 countries, the scientists will be discussing critical scientific, environmental, rural, technological and engineering issues associated with better use and management of the coasts and oceans.

The Oceans and the World’s Future meeting in Cairns, from 10-14 July, is being organised by the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS) and hosted by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

World leaders in ocean science, technology and related industries including food, aquaculture, water, oil and gas, mining, climate, shipping and tourism will attend.

In addition to the three-day conference (11-13 July), a half-day workshop on tsunami disaster mitigation will convene on 10 July followed by a half-day seminar on tropical aquaculture on 14 July.

Senator the Hon Ian Macdonald, Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, will open the event on 11 July.

Invited CSIRO participants at the Oceans and the World’s Future convocation include: Mr Craig Roy, Director, Wealth from Oceans Flagship speaking on Science, Technology and Engineering for Sustainable Use of the Oceans; Dr John Church, CSIRO Senior Research Scientist speaking on Consequences for Humans of the Impacts of Climate Change on the Oceans; and, Dr Tony Haymet, Chief of CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research at the Tsunami Workshop.

In Darwin, the focus for the Australian Marine Sciences Association (AMSA) 2005 conference from 11-13 July is; Marine Biodiversity, Biodiscovery and Biosecurity, Discovering and Protecting our Oceans’ Bounty.

Australia’s leading marine scientists will meet to discuss the latest advances in marine science and technology and explore the themes of marine biodiversity, biodiscovery and biosecurity - among other specialist areas of marine research. These areas of marine science have important links to current planning, management and policy processes in Australia and globally.

CSIRO representatives attending this meeting include: Dr Kate Wilson presenting on the Wealth from Oceans Flagship; and, Dr Arnold Dekker, Wealth from Oceans Flagship and CSIRO Land and Water, presenting on Remote Sensing of Estuarine Water, Seagrasses and Coral Reefs.

Original press release: Oceans focus for CSIRO (CSIRO)

For the first time, NASA has the tools and expertise to understand the rate at which sea level is changing, some of the mechanisms that drive those changes and the effects that sea level change may have worldwide.

“It’s estimated that more than 100 million lives are potentially impacted by a one-meter increase in sea level,” said Dr. Waleed Abdalati, head of the Cryospheric Sciences Branch at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. “When you consider this information, the importance of learning how and why these changes are occurring becomes clear,” he added.

Although scientists have directly measured sea level since the early part of the 20th century, it was not known how many of the observed changes in sea level were real and how many were related to upward or downward movement of the land. Now satellites have changed that by providing a reference by which changes in ocean height can be determined regardless of what the nearby land is doing. With new satellite measurements, scientists are able to better predict the rate at which sea level is rising and the cause of that rise.

“In the last fifty years sea level has risen at an estimated rate of 1.8 mm (.07 inches) per year, but in the last 12 years that rate appears to be 3 mm (.12 inches) per year. Roughly half of that is attributed to the expansion of ocean water as it has increased in temperature, with the rest coming from other sources” said Dr. Steve Nerem Associate Professor, Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research, University of Colorado, Boulder.

Another source of sea level rise is the increase in ice melting. Evidence shows that sea levels rise and fall as ice on land grows and shrinks. With the new measurements now available, it’s possible to determine the rate at which ice is growing and shrinking.

“We’ve found the largest likely factor for sea level rise is changes in the amount of ice that covers the earth. Three-fourths of the planet’s freshwater is stored in glaciers and ice sheets or the equivalent of about 220 feet of sea level,” said Dr. Eric Rignot, Principal Scientist for the Radar Science and Engineering Section at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. “Ice cover is shrinking much faster than we thought, with over half of recent sea level rise due to the melting of ice from Greenland, West Antarctica’s Amundsen Sea and mountain glaciers,” he said.

Additionally, NASA scientists and partner researchers now are able to measure and monitor the world’s waters globally in a sustained and comprehensive way using a combination of satellite observations and sensors in the ocean. By integrating the newly available satellite and surface data, scientists are better able to determine the causes and significance of current sea level changes.

“Now the challenge is to develop an even deeper understanding of what is responsible for sea level rise and to monitor for possible future changes. That’s where NASA’s satellites come in, with global coverage and ability to examine the many factors involved,” said Dr. Laury Miller, Chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Laboratory for Satellite Altimetry, Washington.

NASA works with agency partners such as NOAA and the National Science Foundation to explore and understand sea level change. Critical resources that NASA brings to bear on this issue include such satellites as:

• Ocean TOPography Experiment (TOPEX/Poseidon), which uses radar to map the precise features of the oceans’ surface;
• Jason, which measures ocean height and monitors ocean circulation;
• Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), which studies the mass of polar ice sheets and their contributions to global sea level change;
• Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE), which maps Earth’s gravitational Field, allowing us to better understand movement of water throughout the Earth.

Original press release: NASA Satellites Measure and Monitor Sea Level (NASA)

Organized by the US Department of Energy in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Solar Decathlon competition challenges university teams to design and build an 800-square-foot, solar-powered house to compete with 17 other entries in 10 events evaluating the ingenuity, energy efficiency and architecture of the house.

The UT SolarD Team is under way in its construction of the SNAP (Super Nifty Action Package) House. A roof-raising ceremony took place Wednesday, July 6 on the construction site at 2006 Leona Street to mark the completion of the SNAP House’s structural components.

The UT SolarD Team has 45 undergraduate and graduate students from the School of Architecture and the colleges of Engineering and Liberal Arts. Although they are guided by faculty advisors Elizabeth Alford, Michael Garrison and Samantha Randall, the students are fully responsible for the design, fund raising and construction of the house.

The international competition challenges 18 universities to design and build a completely self-sufficient, solar-powered home. The teams build their houses on campus, then transport each building to the National Mall in Washington, DC, for reassembling in only four days. The houses will be judged in 10 solar contests, including the design of the living spaces, the production of hot water and the maintenance of thermal comfort. Each house will be on public display for tours Oct. 7-11 and Oct. 13-16.

To transport the SNAP House to Washington, DC, the UT SolarD Team is implementing a design of four pre-fabricated modules, or SNAPs. Each SNAP fits on a standard drop-deck semi-truck for shipping and literally SNAPs together when in place. An innovative foundation system of rails and rollers allow each SNAP to be lowered off the truck onto the rails and rolled into place. The team tested the roller system on June 25 with complete success.

After the competition in Washington, D.C., the house will be transported back to Austin, Texas and donated to a local nonprofit. The UT SolarD Team�s goal is to educate the public about the benefits of solar-powered, energy-efficient and sustainable building practices.

The UT SolarD Team made design choices for the SNAP House beyond the competition requirements of solar power and energy efficiency by embracing the full spectrum of sustainable design. Their strategy includes the use of local materials, such as mesquite flooring, the use of recyclable materials including the exterior zinc cladding, the promotion of an indoor/outdoor lifestyle through a large back deck, the use of low-volatile organic compounds-emitting paints and non-toxic materials such as the area carpets, and the reduction of the urban heat island effect through the installation of a green grass roof.

Original press release: Solar decathlon team raises roof of house for display on National Mall in Washington, D.C. (University of Texas)

Turning plants such as corn, soybeans and sunflowers into fuel uses much more energy than the resulting ethanol or biodiesel generates, according to a new Cornell University and University of California-Berkeley study.

“There is just no energy benefit to using plant biomass for liquid fuel,” says David Pimentel, professor of ecology and agriculture at Cornell. “These strategies are not sustainable.”

Pimentel and Tad W. Patzek, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Berkeley, conducted a detailed analysis of the energy input-yield ratios of producing ethanol from corn, switch grass and wood biomass as well as for producing biodiesel from soybean and sunflower plants. Their report is published in Natural Resources Research (Vol. 14:1, 65-76).

In terms of energy output compared with energy input for ethanol production, the study found that:

• corn requires 29 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced;
• switch grass requires 45 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced; and
• wood biomass requires 57 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced

In terms of energy output compared with the energy input for biodiesel production, the study found that:

• soybean plants requires 27 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced, and
• sunflower plants requires 118 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced

In assessing inputs, the researchers considered such factors as the energy used in producing the crop (including production of pesticides and fertilizer, running farm machinery and irrigating, grinding and transporting the crop) and in fermenting/distilling the ethanol from the water mix. Although additional costs are incurred, such as federal and state subsidies that are passed on to consumers and the costs associated with environmental pollution or degradation, these figures were not included in the analysis.

“The United State desperately needs a liquid fuel replacement for oil in the near future,” says Pimentel, “but producing ethanol or biodiesel from plant biomass is going down the wrong road, because you use more energy to produce these fuels than you get out from the combustion of these products.”

Although Pimentel advocates the use of burning biomass to produce thermal energy (to heat homes, for example), he deplores the use of biomass for liquid fuel. “The government spends more than $3 billion a year to subsidize ethanol production when it does not provide a net energy balance or gain, is not a renewable energy source or an economical fuel. Further, its production and use contribute to air, water and soil pollution and global warming,” Pimentel says. He points out that the vast majority of the subsidies do not go to farmers but to large ethanol-producing corporations.

“Ethanol production in the United States does not benefit the nation’s energy security, its agriculture, economy or the environment,” says Pimentel. “Ethanol production requires large fossil energy input, and therefore, it is contributing to oil and natural gas imports and U.S. deficits.” He says the country should instead focus its efforts on producing electrical energy from photovoltaic cells, wind power and burning biomass and producing fuel from hydrogen conversion.

Original press release: Cornell ecologist’s study finds that producing ethanol and biodiesel from corn and other crops is not worth the energy (Cornell University)