Earth Day: How to Save and Preserve “Green”

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Representatives from over 160 countries will be on hand for a ceremony today at the United Nations.  That’s when they will formally sign the climate accord they agreed on last December in Paris.  Although not a legally binding agreement, this landmark deal is designed to ensure any additional rise in global temperature is limited to less than 2 degrees Celsius.  This comes at a critical time since data recently released from NOAA indicates that March 2016 was the eleventh consecutive month global temperatures saw record highs.

The Paris accord hopes to slow said temperature rises by calling for a global reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.  What separates this deal from previous agreements designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is that both the United States and China are participants.  According to the White House, the United States and China contribute a total of approximately “40% of global emissions.”  So the fact that both countries are among the 160 participating nations makes this deal groundbreaking.  Reducing both air and water pollution through more sustainable living aren’t new ideas though.  It was intended for this historic agreement to be signed today – the 46^th annual Earth Day.

Historically, the burning of fossil fuels whether for energy production, transportation or as part of industrial process has been one the biggest contributions to global air and water pollution.  A large contributor to this is the burning of coal, which remains one of the most prevalent sources of energy production.  That’s because coal is plentiful and cheap.  However, burning coal during the production of energy produces a high amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses that are subsequently released into the atmosphere.  The use of cleaner alternatives, such as wind and solar energy, have been expanding in recent years.  While solar, wind and nuclear power are already prevalent in the European Union, the United States has recently created a series of tax incentives to help expand them domestically.

A local example of this in the Mid-Atlantic Region comes from Constellation Energy which is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.  Constellation Energy is a subsidiary of the Exelon Corporation and they operate dozens of power plants – including some in Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York.  In Maryland, Constellation Energy uses a variety of renewable energy sources, including solar, wind and hydroelectric among others.  They also utilize natural gas and nuclear power as cleaner alternatives to coal for energy production.

Individuals can also do a lot in their daily lives to live more sustainably and reduce their carbon footprint.  Simple things such as recycling more, using public transportation instead of driving and reducing the amount of electricity they use are all things people can do on a regular basis.  There are a number of Earth Day events in the DC Metro Region that people can participate in over the next several days.  By living more sustainably, and thereby reducing pollution, a cleaner environment is an admirable – and reachable – goal.  

Atlantic Hurricanes: Version 2016

Visible Satellite Image of the Tropical Atlantic Ocean   (Source: NASA GOES Project)

A lot of people start to think about the upcoming hurricane season during the second half of April.  That’s because the hurricane season begins on May 15 in the eastern Pacific Ocean (off the west coast of Mexico) where it runs through November 15.  Hurricane season begins on June 1 in the Atlantic Ocean and runs through the end of November.  NOAA data indicates an average Atlantic hurricane season has approximately 12 named tropical storms, 6 hurricanes with 3 of those becoming “major” hurricanes based on the 30-year period ending in 2010.  A “major” hurricane is a Category 3 or higher storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale with sustained winds of at least 111 mph. 

Although NOAA hasn’t issued their forecast for the 2016 Atlantic hurricane season yet, several other groups have issued their seasonal forecasts.  Colorado State University’s forecast for the upcoming season is for a near average season with 12 named tropical storms, 5 of which become hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes.  North Carolina State University’s seasonal forecast calls for 15 – 18 tropical storms, 8 to 11 hurricanes and 3 to 5 major hurricanes.  AccuWeather is also calling for a slightly busier than average season with 14 tropical storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes.

Each group looks at the same key factors when preparing their seasonal forecast.  The phase of “ENSO” or El Nino Southern Oscillation is a key factor in seasonal hurricane forecasts.  During a strong El Nino event, wind shear in the tropical Atlantic tends to be higher and sea surface temperatures tend to be cooler.  These factors contribute to making a less favorable environment for tropical storms and hurricanes.  Meanwhile, conditions tend to be more favorable for tropical storms and hurricanes in the eastern Pacific Ocean during a major El Nino event. 

During one of the strongest El Nino’s on record last year, the eastern Pacific Ocean had a significantly busier than average hurricane season.  Most will also recall that the 2015 hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean was quieter than average.  However, the significant El Nino event of the past year has begun to fade.  That helps create a big wildcard in this season’s hurricane forecast as scientists wait and to see if La Nina develops.  An episode of La Nina is characterized by cooler than average water temperatures in the tropical East Pacific.  That helps reduce wind shear the tropical Atlantic while sea surface temperatures also tend to be warmer than average during an episode of La Nina.

The 2013 and 2014 Atlantic seasons were also quieter than average and that shows while the presence El Nino or La Nina loom large over a hurricane season, they aren’t the only factors that influence how busy the tropics can be.  For example, a large portion of the North Atlantic Ocean currently has colder than average sea surface temperatures and that could also influence the upcoming hurricane season.  So, the best thing for the general public to do now is to pay attention as the start of hurricane season draws closer.  If you live in an area prone to tropical storms and hurricanes, it’s important to have an evacuation plan in place should your area be threatened.  The next tropical storm that develops in the Atlantic Ocean will be given the name “Bonnie” since a rare January hurricane named “Alex” already developed.