Saltwater Intrusion in Rhode Island
Climate change has a multitude of implications, one of the most ominous being rising sea levels. These rising levels have their own set of consequences as they impact coastal habitats affecting the fish, wildlife and plants of the area and lead to erosion, flooding and salt contamination both of the soil and aquifers. Coastal flooding can also damage infrastructure and potentially lead to the dislocation of coastal communities. One of the states most at risk is Rhode Island, as it is included as a “hotspot” of elevated sea level rise as reported in the Rhode Island coastal Resources Management Council […]
Airports’ Water Footprint
As climate change continues to change the world’s landscape, the notion of reducing the carbon footprint made by human activity has become vital, especially in the transportation industry. Also vital is reducing the water footprint, particularly in the western United States which is currently gripped by a drought that continues to worsen. As a result, many industries are adjusting business practices to better manage their water usage, including the air travel industry. When considering the amount of water used by air travel, the total encompasses more than just the flights; aircraft cleaning, cleaning of the airport and cleaning and maintenance […]
California Farmers Selling Water
As of July 2021, the drought monitor for California places 94.7% of the state in the category of Severe Drought and 33.3% is in Exceptional Drought, the highest category. The drought impacts many aspects of life, especially for famers whose financial livelihood depends on their crops. However, reduced rainfall, snowmelt and aquifers that have been overextended. This, combined with increased temperatures resulting from climate change, exacerbates an already difficult situation, forcing many farmers to make a difficult decision: plant crops or sell the water? As water availability has become increasingly scarce, farmers have shifted their mindset, especially in the Central […]
Wastewater Generating Energy
The world population is currently estimated to be over 7.8 billion people. That many people result in a lot of something else—human waste. Often viewed as a problem, many scientists are studying ways to harness the potential energy from wastewater as well as counter the energy demands of the treatment process. Wastewater treatment consumes large quantities of energy, estimated by the DOE to account for as much as 40% of a wastewater treatment plant’s annual operating budget. In total, wastewater treatment plants throughout the U.S. are “estimated to consume more than 30 terawatt hours per year of electricity, which equals […]
Drought Lessons Revisited
California finds itself, once again, in the unenviable position of facing a potentially serious drought, much as it did less than a decade ago. With a dry winter and warmer than average temperatures early in the spring, water was consumed at a higher than normal rate, and the snowpack that typically melts and flows to increase water supplies in rivers and reservoirs was quickly absorbed into the earth. These circumstances prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a drought emergency in two counties in April. By May, officials reported that “water supplies have been reduced by more than 500,000 acre-feet – […]