Thursday, March 12, 2009
Washington Monument, Washington, D.C.
An elegant solution to a tremendous problem. The landscape architect has put the focus back on the monument and provided security through gentle grading and beautiful amenities, like trees and seating. The resolution of the geometry is very simple and sophisticated."
— 2008 Professional Awards Jury Comments
PROJECT STATEMENT: The revitalized Washington Monument articulates the site’s character and identity within the context of the National Mall and demonstrates the art and craft of landscape architecture in a very prominent place. The design is bold and clear; a minimalist solution that turned a project originally funded to prevent terrorism into a handsome civic amenity. It is proof that the union of sound security and artful design is not only possible, but can be functional and graceful.
PROJECT NARRATIVE: The Washington Monument is an icon of American freedom and democracy. Its 72-acre grounds play a vital cultural role, providing a public space for demonstrations, celebrations, entertainment and recreation for millions of people each year. A need to upgrade exterior security provisions came to the forefront after 9/11, leading to an invited design competition for the Monument grounds. The landscape architect won the competition with an elegant security solution, and in the process, successfully proposed much needed landscape improvements. The Washington Monument grounds had become unattractive and the Monument was left standing in a disrespectful and unacceptable physical setting. The grounds consisted of an irregular and poorly-graded hill with struggling eroded grass, cracked concrete and asphalt drives used for walks that ran straight up the hill violating contemporary standards for accessibility. A poorly-designed and disfiguring concrete block hot dog stand had been built against the historic Monument lodge on the central axis toward the United States Capitol. A surface parking lot marred the view on axis with the White House. Huge bunkers on each of the compass points housed outmoded search lights for evening illumination, providing both a blinding hazard and huge clouds of insects at the ground near the Monument. The concrete Jersey barriers and squad cars ringing the Monument part way up the mound contributed to the ground’s ills.
From the outset of the project, the design intent was to determine how best to turn an anti-terrorist defense project into a welcoming civic space. The history of the site, its dimensions and proportions, circulation routes, and research regarding contemporary vehicular barriers and bomb blasts were intensely researched. Since the Monument sits atop a significant hill, disabled access was also studied. In addition, traditional, unobtrusive fencing and barrier designs of 18th century European estates were considered for their effectiveness as physical deterrents. Landscape architects have designed barriers for centuries. In 18th century England and France, sunken walls were frequently employed to prevent livestock from gaining access to country houses and chateaus while providing visual continuity. It was also noted that Olmsted and Vaux had used low stone walls to resolve grading issues and direct the movement of pedestrian and horse-drawn vehicles at the United States Capitol grounds. Deploying a combination of these two strategies, a scheme was developed.
The design brings resolution to the landscape deftly. Representative of this are the low 30-inch granite-finished walls. The curving walls are configured in a graceful pattern appropriate to the spirit of the Mall and the Monument. They safeguard against automobiles and trucks entering the site and also provide a resting place without distraction from one’s view.
— 2008 Professional Awards Jury Comments
PROJECT STATEMENT: The revitalized Washington Monument articulates the site’s character and identity within the context of the National Mall and demonstrates the art and craft of landscape architecture in a very prominent place. The design is bold and clear; a minimalist solution that turned a project originally funded to prevent terrorism into a handsome civic amenity. It is proof that the union of sound security and artful design is not only possible, but can be functional and graceful.
PROJECT NARRATIVE: The Washington Monument is an icon of American freedom and democracy. Its 72-acre grounds play a vital cultural role, providing a public space for demonstrations, celebrations, entertainment and recreation for millions of people each year. A need to upgrade exterior security provisions came to the forefront after 9/11, leading to an invited design competition for the Monument grounds. The landscape architect won the competition with an elegant security solution, and in the process, successfully proposed much needed landscape improvements. The Washington Monument grounds had become unattractive and the Monument was left standing in a disrespectful and unacceptable physical setting. The grounds consisted of an irregular and poorly-graded hill with struggling eroded grass, cracked concrete and asphalt drives used for walks that ran straight up the hill violating contemporary standards for accessibility. A poorly-designed and disfiguring concrete block hot dog stand had been built against the historic Monument lodge on the central axis toward the United States Capitol. A surface parking lot marred the view on axis with the White House. Huge bunkers on each of the compass points housed outmoded search lights for evening illumination, providing both a blinding hazard and huge clouds of insects at the ground near the Monument. The concrete Jersey barriers and squad cars ringing the Monument part way up the mound contributed to the ground’s ills.
From the outset of the project, the design intent was to determine how best to turn an anti-terrorist defense project into a welcoming civic space. The history of the site, its dimensions and proportions, circulation routes, and research regarding contemporary vehicular barriers and bomb blasts were intensely researched. Since the Monument sits atop a significant hill, disabled access was also studied. In addition, traditional, unobtrusive fencing and barrier designs of 18th century European estates were considered for their effectiveness as physical deterrents. Landscape architects have designed barriers for centuries. In 18th century England and France, sunken walls were frequently employed to prevent livestock from gaining access to country houses and chateaus while providing visual continuity. It was also noted that Olmsted and Vaux had used low stone walls to resolve grading issues and direct the movement of pedestrian and horse-drawn vehicles at the United States Capitol grounds. Deploying a combination of these two strategies, a scheme was developed.
The design brings resolution to the landscape deftly. Representative of this are the low 30-inch granite-finished walls. The curving walls are configured in a graceful pattern appropriate to the spirit of the Mall and the Monument. They safeguard against automobiles and trucks entering the site and also provide a resting place without distraction from one’s view.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Nissan installs solar panels in Barcelona plant
As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce CO2 emissions at its manufacturing sites and promote the use of renewable energy sources, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd, will install 606 solar panels at its Barcelona vehicle plant by the end of this summer.
Together the 606 solar panels at Barcelona will cover a surface of 3,000 square-metres and generate 308,000 kWh of electricity per year, while reducing CO2 emissions by 110 tons.
Of the total, 480 are photovoltaic panels which convert sunlight directly into electricity and have already started operations. The remaining 126 panels, which will be put in place by the end of the summer, are thermal panels which will be used for heating water for the vehicle paint process, among other industrial purposes.
The Barcelona plant is the second Nissan plant in Spain to install solar panels, making Nissan the first automotive company in Spain to widely introduce solar power at its factories. In February, Nissan announced it would install a total of 732 solar panels at its light commercial vehicle plant in Avila this summer resulting in savings of 267 tons of CO2 emissions every year.
Reducing CO2 emissions from both its products and day-to-day operations is a top priority for Nissan under the Nissan Green Program 2010, its midterm environmental plan announced last December. As part of that plan, Nissan has said it aims to reduce CO2 emissions from its manufacturing plants by 7% compared with the level in 2005.
In addition to Spain, Nissan is also using renewable energy at its Sunderland vehicle plant in the UK, where it has erected six wind turbines. The six turbines generate 5% of the plant�s annual electricity, while cutting CO2 emissions by 3,300 tons a year.
Nissan has 6,800 employees in Spain and produced more than 200,000 vehicles in 2006.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Use USO funds for rural mobile charging centres’
Thomas K. Thomas
New Delhi, March 5 Recognising that lack of adequate power is stunting the growth of mobile services in rural areas, The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has suggested that money from the Universal Services Obligation fund should be utilised to set up mobile charging centres in villages.
In States such as West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the extent of mobile coverage is higher than the number of villages electrified. Though in other States, electric coverage is higher, the statistics is only on paper.
TRAI said that although 80 per cent of the villages have been electrified up to March 2008, in practice, the frequent and long interruptions in the electricity supply put a large number of the villages at par with the non-electrified ones.
Tapping solar power
TRAI has suggested that the USO fund, which has about Rs 20,000 crore lying unutilised, should work out the cost of providing mobile chargers which can work with solar power or little power supply in rural areas.
Accordingly, a fixed amount of subsidy may be extended to those service providers who have installed towers in rural areas, for installing such mobile chargers. “Considering the difficulties in the availability and reliability of electricity, even though the telecom infrastructure is developed, a need is felt to facilitate the charging of mobile handsets as this is the prime instrument for the mobile users.
The service providers who have reached by installing tower in the rural vicinity would be the right agency to facilitate the mobile charging facility,” the regulator said.
TRAI has also suggested the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, should be amended to involve State level agencies to enable growth of mobile services. “State electricity boards should provide power supply to rural base stations on priority basis. DoT shall issue a broad framework to help State governments to form State-specific telecom policy,” the regulator said.
Meanwhile equipment makers and technology companies are also working on bringing energy-efficient systems to rural India. Ericsson, for example, has started a pilot to run telecom towers on bio-gas. Other vendors such as Nokia have base stations that consumer less power
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Champlain Cable Creates New PV Wire
Champlain Cable Creates New PV Wire
Exar 150PV has a 90 degrees C wet rating, and the 180PV has a 100 degrees C wet rating, which makes them ideal for the environmental extremes encountered by PV array components.by Staff WritersColchester VT (SPX) Mar 03, 2009Champlain Cable has entered the renewable energy industry with two new cable solutions for photovoltaic arrays. The Exar 150PV and the Exar 180PV are both UL rated photovoltaic wires and are the latest products to be released by Champlain Cable.
Due to the extreme environmental conditions photovoltaic panels are subjected to, most standard solar panel wires are unable to last as long as typical PV panel warranty periods. There are multiple factors that cause ordinary wires to degrade; one of these factors is the extremes in temperature.
Photovoltaic panels also are exposed to high amounts of UV radiation, which cause a quick degradation of insulation on standard wiring.
Another damaging condition to photovoltaic components is the exposure to water and steam, which can damage the insulation and ultimately cause the cable to fail. For these reasons, the Exar 150PV and 180PV were designed to handle these extreme environmental conditions.
Exar 150PV has a 90 degrees C wet rating, and the 180PV has a 100 degrees C wet rating, which makes them ideal for the environmental extremes encountered by PV array components.
The Exar 150PV and 180PV are made out of a robust irradiation cross-linked fluoropolymer-based material, which handles temperature extremes to 180oC. Champlain Cable's PV products are formulated to naturally resist UV exposure, and do not require specific color concentrates to block UV radiation.
These cables will last more then ten times longer than the standard THHN, XHHW, SEW-2, and other similar XLPE or rubber-based wires used today. The higher performing lead wire will be of great interest to many panel manufacturers and installers due to reduced life cycle costs and higher reliability.
Overall, the Exar PV products are relatively thin and have high temperature resistance, which ultimately allows for downsizing of the conductor, thus creating opportunity to save more space and cost. Champlain Cable is committed to improvement, and is currently developing a third photovoltaic cable product. This new product is expected to be on the market later this year.
Exar 150PV has a 90 degrees C wet rating, and the 180PV has a 100 degrees C wet rating, which makes them ideal for the environmental extremes encountered by PV array components.by Staff WritersColchester VT (SPX) Mar 03, 2009Champlain Cable has entered the renewable energy industry with two new cable solutions for photovoltaic arrays. The Exar 150PV and the Exar 180PV are both UL rated photovoltaic wires and are the latest products to be released by Champlain Cable.
Due to the extreme environmental conditions photovoltaic panels are subjected to, most standard solar panel wires are unable to last as long as typical PV panel warranty periods. There are multiple factors that cause ordinary wires to degrade; one of these factors is the extremes in temperature.
Photovoltaic panels also are exposed to high amounts of UV radiation, which cause a quick degradation of insulation on standard wiring.
Another damaging condition to photovoltaic components is the exposure to water and steam, which can damage the insulation and ultimately cause the cable to fail. For these reasons, the Exar 150PV and 180PV were designed to handle these extreme environmental conditions.
Exar 150PV has a 90 degrees C wet rating, and the 180PV has a 100 degrees C wet rating, which makes them ideal for the environmental extremes encountered by PV array components.
The Exar 150PV and 180PV are made out of a robust irradiation cross-linked fluoropolymer-based material, which handles temperature extremes to 180oC. Champlain Cable's PV products are formulated to naturally resist UV exposure, and do not require specific color concentrates to block UV radiation.
These cables will last more then ten times longer than the standard THHN, XHHW, SEW-2, and other similar XLPE or rubber-based wires used today. The higher performing lead wire will be of great interest to many panel manufacturers and installers due to reduced life cycle costs and higher reliability.
Overall, the Exar PV products are relatively thin and have high temperature resistance, which ultimately allows for downsizing of the conductor, thus creating opportunity to save more space and cost. Champlain Cable is committed to improvement, and is currently developing a third photovoltaic cable product. This new product is expected to be on the market later this year.
Industrial Nanotech Enters Solar Energy Market
Industrial Nanotech Enters Solar Energy Market
Solar energy, currently produces less than 1 percent of the world's energy. Lowering the price is a driving force for the industry as it ramps up production. Solar power's ability to compete with conventional energy sources - called grid parity - will open new markets and allow it to survive without subsidy.by Staff WritersNaples FL (SPX) Mar 03, 2009Industrial Nanotech has announced that the Company's "Nansulate Solar" is currently being specified on both solar panels and the pipes and tanks of solar hot water systems to increase efficiency and lower operating costs.
"Field trials of Nansulate Solar began a year ago in March of 2008 by Universal Energy Group, Inc., located in Stockton, California," stated Francesca Crolley, VP of Operations and Marketing for Industrial Nanotech.
"After twelve months of data collection, the product proved to successfully increase the efficiency and lower the operating cost of solar systems when used on the solar panels of solar energy systems and on numerous components of solar hot water systems.
Universal Energy Group is now including Nansulate Solar as the standard in their solar installations and selling to other solar energy companies.
Kevin Lagorio, CEO and Founder of Universal Energy Group, Inc., explains, "Nansulate is so important for solar thermal installations. It is not only its great ability to insulate tanks and piping, but its overall ability to work in the high tech solar thermal installations, where the new flat plate panels are combined with more expensive evacuated tube panels, which saves the customer money by lowering the overall cost of the system, but still boosts wintertime performance."
Solar energy, currently produces less than 1 percent of the world's energy. Lowering the price is a driving force for the industry as it ramps up production. Solar power's ability to compete with conventional energy sources - called grid parity - will open new markets and allow it to survive without subsidy.
As worldwide energy demand continues to rise, the overall solar equipment market is expected to grow to more than US$3 billion in 2010.
Analysts predict world demand for solar this year to be roughly 4.2 gigawatts, according to iSuppli, a research firm that tracks solar trends. Manufacturers across the globe plan to pump out nearly three times that, or 11.1 gigawatts.
In Hawaii, the first state requiring the energy-saving systems in homes, all new homes will be required to have solar water heaters installed starting in 2010 under a law approved by the Legislature.
Stuart Burchill, CEO/CTO of Industrial Nanotech states, "Our expansion into the solar energy market represents a critical component of our strategic initiative, implemented in Q3 2008, to target markets and industries that are expected to thrive despite the current economic turmoil and protect our five year record of triple digit revenue growth in 2009. The commencement of our recently announced project with the US Army is another example of that strategy which, to date, is proving to be successful."
Solar energy, currently produces less than 1 percent of the world's energy. Lowering the price is a driving force for the industry as it ramps up production. Solar power's ability to compete with conventional energy sources - called grid parity - will open new markets and allow it to survive without subsidy.by Staff WritersNaples FL (SPX) Mar 03, 2009Industrial Nanotech has announced that the Company's "Nansulate Solar" is currently being specified on both solar panels and the pipes and tanks of solar hot water systems to increase efficiency and lower operating costs.
"Field trials of Nansulate Solar began a year ago in March of 2008 by Universal Energy Group, Inc., located in Stockton, California," stated Francesca Crolley, VP of Operations and Marketing for Industrial Nanotech.
"After twelve months of data collection, the product proved to successfully increase the efficiency and lower the operating cost of solar systems when used on the solar panels of solar energy systems and on numerous components of solar hot water systems.
Universal Energy Group is now including Nansulate Solar as the standard in their solar installations and selling to other solar energy companies.
Kevin Lagorio, CEO and Founder of Universal Energy Group, Inc., explains, "Nansulate is so important for solar thermal installations. It is not only its great ability to insulate tanks and piping, but its overall ability to work in the high tech solar thermal installations, where the new flat plate panels are combined with more expensive evacuated tube panels, which saves the customer money by lowering the overall cost of the system, but still boosts wintertime performance."
Solar energy, currently produces less than 1 percent of the world's energy. Lowering the price is a driving force for the industry as it ramps up production. Solar power's ability to compete with conventional energy sources - called grid parity - will open new markets and allow it to survive without subsidy.
As worldwide energy demand continues to rise, the overall solar equipment market is expected to grow to more than US$3 billion in 2010.
Analysts predict world demand for solar this year to be roughly 4.2 gigawatts, according to iSuppli, a research firm that tracks solar trends. Manufacturers across the globe plan to pump out nearly three times that, or 11.1 gigawatts.
In Hawaii, the first state requiring the energy-saving systems in homes, all new homes will be required to have solar water heaters installed starting in 2010 under a law approved by the Legislature.
Stuart Burchill, CEO/CTO of Industrial Nanotech states, "Our expansion into the solar energy market represents a critical component of our strategic initiative, implemented in Q3 2008, to target markets and industries that are expected to thrive despite the current economic turmoil and protect our five year record of triple digit revenue growth in 2009. The commencement of our recently announced project with the US Army is another example of that strategy which, to date, is proving to be successful."
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Senator Cantwell Introduces Green Roof Tax Incentives with Help from ASLA
Senator Cantwell Introduces Green Roof Tax Incentives with Help from ASLA
Submitted energy legislation provides meaningful relief on related costs to spur jobs and encourage sustainable design.
As the House and Senate debate over solutions to the nation’s economic crisis, senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle have been proposing ideas on how to stimulate the economy. Though the main stimulus package is the major vehicle aimed at spurring the economy, other pieces of legislation have emerged with specific sectors or incentives in mind.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (WA) introduced the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 (S. 320), legislation geared toward creating high-wage green-collar jobs and revitalizing the economy through clean energy investments. ASLA worked with Senator Cantwell’s office to ensure that a section of the bill was dedicated to green roof tax incentives.
“In these times of economic uncertainty, growing the green economy and investing in clean energy technologies is the key to job growth and breaking the United States’s debilitating dependence on foreign oil,” said Senator Cantwell. “While installing a green roof may seem like a small step, these upgrades save energy, filter and absorb pollution, and store carbon. As individuals and businesses continue to look for ways to combat high energy costs and improve the health of their neighborhoods and environment, providing green roof incentives just makes sense.”
The intent of the bill is to invigorate the economy through green-collar jobs for design professionals, manufacturers, nurseries, and installation and maintenance professionals. While a major portion of the projects that will be funded as a result of the stimulus package are large “shovel-ready” infrastructure projects, the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 (S. 320), particularly section 506 of the bill, will give a boost not only to the economy, but also to the environment by improving stormwater management, cutting energy consumption and costs, and lowering urban temperatures.
ASLA reached out to Senator Cantwell’s office immediately after the November elections to gauge her interest in sponsoring the green roof tax credit. ASLA and Senate staff then began hammering out language for section 506 of the bill, which gives a 30 percent tax credit for qualified green roof property expenditures on residential and commercial buildings. The language puts the cap at $5,000 on residential buildings and no cap for commercial buildings. The bill also outlines specific, ASLA-recommended language, defining “qualified green roofs” to mean any green roof at least half of which is a vegetated green roof system. The credit applies to any retrofit or new construction green roof.
In addition to the substantial input ASLA received from its expert green roof practitioner members, ASLA also received technical support from the nonprofit organization Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.
Submitted energy legislation provides meaningful relief on related costs to spur jobs and encourage sustainable design.
As the House and Senate debate over solutions to the nation’s economic crisis, senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle have been proposing ideas on how to stimulate the economy. Though the main stimulus package is the major vehicle aimed at spurring the economy, other pieces of legislation have emerged with specific sectors or incentives in mind.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (WA) introduced the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 (S. 320), legislation geared toward creating high-wage green-collar jobs and revitalizing the economy through clean energy investments. ASLA worked with Senator Cantwell’s office to ensure that a section of the bill was dedicated to green roof tax incentives.
“In these times of economic uncertainty, growing the green economy and investing in clean energy technologies is the key to job growth and breaking the United States’s debilitating dependence on foreign oil,” said Senator Cantwell. “While installing a green roof may seem like a small step, these upgrades save energy, filter and absorb pollution, and store carbon. As individuals and businesses continue to look for ways to combat high energy costs and improve the health of their neighborhoods and environment, providing green roof incentives just makes sense.”
The intent of the bill is to invigorate the economy through green-collar jobs for design professionals, manufacturers, nurseries, and installation and maintenance professionals. While a major portion of the projects that will be funded as a result of the stimulus package are large “shovel-ready” infrastructure projects, the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 (S. 320), particularly section 506 of the bill, will give a boost not only to the economy, but also to the environment by improving stormwater management, cutting energy consumption and costs, and lowering urban temperatures.
ASLA reached out to Senator Cantwell’s office immediately after the November elections to gauge her interest in sponsoring the green roof tax credit. ASLA and Senate staff then began hammering out language for section 506 of the bill, which gives a 30 percent tax credit for qualified green roof property expenditures on residential and commercial buildings. The language puts the cap at $5,000 on residential buildings and no cap for commercial buildings. The bill also outlines specific, ASLA-recommended language, defining “qualified green roofs” to mean any green roof at least half of which is a vegetated green roof system. The credit applies to any retrofit or new construction green roof.
In addition to the substantial input ASLA received from its expert green roof practitioner members, ASLA also received technical support from the nonprofit organization Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Landscape Architecture Student Life for A Prospective Student
When i first got introduced to Landscape Architecture, i never had a prior knowledge that it even existed. I was interested in Architecture and wanted to become an architect, however, architecture had a one dimension sense to it since you only really focus on structure and that's about it. On the other hand, Landscape architecture is a mixture of various practices. To become a Landscape Architect you have to have knowledge of engineering, plants, architecture, color theory, construction, materials, soils, weather patterns, seasonal changes, human psychology, and design. You also have to be an expert in computer software’s like AutoCAD, Photoshop, Indesign, VectorWroks etc...Since when you are trying to present your ideas to a prospective client it has to be in its most attractive graphical form and be presentable. Landscape Architects also have to be able to speak in professional manner when presenting presentations to clients. In order to be successful in this profession you have to stay up to date on current news in "Design World". In order to do that, it is recommend to subscribe to Landscape Architecture Magazines and read about the new innovations in the profession and try to be inspired by them.
Some of the criteria’s for the new student would be to have a passion for the environment and the earth, plus be interested in designing sustainable landscapes that will mitigate the human effect on the earth. And lastly and passion for design and creativity.
Cleaning The Atmosphere Of Carbon: African Forests Out Of Balance
ScienceDaily (Feb. 19, 2009) — Tropical forests hold more living biomass than any other terrestrial ecosystem. A new report in the journal Nature by Lewis et al. shows that not only do trees in intact African tropical forests hold a lot of carbon, they hold more carbon now than they did 40 years ago--a hopeful sign that tropical forests could help to mitigate global warming.
See also:
In a companion article, Helene Muller-Landau, staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, says that understanding the causes of this African forest carbon sink and projecting its future is anything but straightforward.
Growing trees absorb carbon. Dead, decomposing trees release carbon. Researchers expect growth and death to approximately balance each other out in mature, undisturbed forests, and thus for total tree carbon stocks, the carbon held by the trees, to remain approximately constant. Yet Lewis and colleagues discovered that on average each hectare (100 x 100 meters, or 2.2 acres) of apparently mature, undisturbed African forest was increasing in tree carbon stocks by an amount equal to the weight of a small car each year. Previous studies have shown that Amazonian forests also take up carbon, although at somewhat lower rates.
"If you assume that these forests should be in equilibrium, then the best way to explain why trees are growing bigger is anthropogenic global change – the extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could essentially be acting as fertilizer." says Muller-Landau, "But it's also possible that tropical forests are still growing back following past clearing or fire or other disturbance. Given increasing evidence that tropical forests have a long history of human occupation, recovery from past disturbance is almost certainly part of the reason these forests are taking up carbon today."
Muller-Landau, who directs a project to monitor carbon budgets in forest study sites worldwide as part of the Smithsonian's Center for Tropical Forest Science and the HSBC Climate Partnership, advises that this newfound sink shouldn't be taken for granted, or presumed to continue indefinitely. "While we still can't explain exactly what is behind this carbon sink, one thing we know for sure is that it can't be a sink forever. Trees and forests just can't keep getting bigger. Tropical forests are buying us a bit more time right now, but we can't count on them to continue to offset our carbon emissions in the future."
See also:
In a companion article, Helene Muller-Landau, staff scientist at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, says that understanding the causes of this African forest carbon sink and projecting its future is anything but straightforward.
Growing trees absorb carbon. Dead, decomposing trees release carbon. Researchers expect growth and death to approximately balance each other out in mature, undisturbed forests, and thus for total tree carbon stocks, the carbon held by the trees, to remain approximately constant. Yet Lewis and colleagues discovered that on average each hectare (100 x 100 meters, or 2.2 acres) of apparently mature, undisturbed African forest was increasing in tree carbon stocks by an amount equal to the weight of a small car each year. Previous studies have shown that Amazonian forests also take up carbon, although at somewhat lower rates.
"If you assume that these forests should be in equilibrium, then the best way to explain why trees are growing bigger is anthropogenic global change – the extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could essentially be acting as fertilizer." says Muller-Landau, "But it's also possible that tropical forests are still growing back following past clearing or fire or other disturbance. Given increasing evidence that tropical forests have a long history of human occupation, recovery from past disturbance is almost certainly part of the reason these forests are taking up carbon today."
Muller-Landau, who directs a project to monitor carbon budgets in forest study sites worldwide as part of the Smithsonian's Center for Tropical Forest Science and the HSBC Climate Partnership, advises that this newfound sink shouldn't be taken for granted, or presumed to continue indefinitely. "While we still can't explain exactly what is behind this carbon sink, one thing we know for sure is that it can't be a sink forever. Trees and forests just can't keep getting bigger. Tropical forests are buying us a bit more time right now, but we can't count on them to continue to offset our carbon emissions in the future."
Including Native Perennials In Biofuel Crops Could Keep Watersheds Healthy
Including Native Perennials In Biofuel Crops Could Keep Watersheds Healthy
ScienceDaily (Feb. 19, 2009) — Field work and computer simulations in Michigan and Wisconsin are helping biofuels researchers understand the basics of getting home-grown energy from the field to consumers. Preliminary results suggest that incorporating native, perennial plants during biofuels production reduces emissions of greenhouse gases, improves water quality and enhances biodiversity. The results are part of an experimental effort to make biofuels economically and environmentally sustainable.
See also:
"If we can make biofuels sustainable in the Great Lakes region, then we can apply the same methods to make biofuel industries work in other regions," said César Izaurralde of the Joint Global Change Research Institute in College Park, Md. a collaboration between the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., and the University of Maryland.
Biofuels based on the food crop corn have come under criticism in recent years for contributing to high food prices and not reducing greenhouse gases enough. Now, researchers of the DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center are looking beyond food crops to be used as biofuel feedstocks. These "cellulosic biofuels" being studied include a range of herbaceous and woody species, including native prairie grasses.
How well these other biofuels will perform against greenhouse gas accumulation depends on the feedstock, how they're grown, how the plant is converted to useful liquids, and where the industry is based. Something as simple as whether the crop needs to be planted every year or takes root can contribute to whether it's an advantage over fossil fuels.
At the DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, scientists are investigating which biofuels crops are best suited to take advantage of the conditions unique to that region -- for example, which grow best in the soils and with the amount of water the region has available. An economic concern is that they do not interfere with the production of food crops. The center, one of three $25 million per year Bioenergy Research Centers established by the DOE Office of Science in 2007, is led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison in partnership with Michigan State University.
"One of the objectives of the center is to develop ecological, agricultural, and life cycle practices that are economically viable and environmentally responsive for the production of biofuel crops," says Phil Robertson, a Michigan State University professor and leader of the center's sustainability studies.
Izaurralde presented an overview of the program, which is in its early stages, today at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. For example, he and his colleagues are using computer models to explore regional production of biofuels in Michigan and Wisconsin. The computer simulations include weather and soil information, and many other production and economic factors. The researchers expect to find ways to deploy biofuel cropping systems that are profitable and environmentally sustainable.
Reference: Talk titled The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center: Sustainability in symposium "Biofuels: Consequences for Carbon, Landscapes, and Sustainability" Friday, February 13, in conference room Hyatt Regency, Grand Ballroom A. American Association for the Advancement of Science 2009 Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois. Additional presentations include Implications of Biofuels for Greenhouse Gas Concentrations by Leon Clark of the Joint Global Change Research Institute and Unintended Global Consequences of a Biofuels Industry by John Reilly of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
This work was funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Science's Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Genomics: GTL program.
ScienceDaily (Feb. 19, 2009) — Field work and computer simulations in Michigan and Wisconsin are helping biofuels researchers understand the basics of getting home-grown energy from the field to consumers. Preliminary results suggest that incorporating native, perennial plants during biofuels production reduces emissions of greenhouse gases, improves water quality and enhances biodiversity. The results are part of an experimental effort to make biofuels economically and environmentally sustainable.
See also:
"If we can make biofuels sustainable in the Great Lakes region, then we can apply the same methods to make biofuel industries work in other regions," said César Izaurralde of the Joint Global Change Research Institute in College Park, Md. a collaboration between the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., and the University of Maryland.
Biofuels based on the food crop corn have come under criticism in recent years for contributing to high food prices and not reducing greenhouse gases enough. Now, researchers of the DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center are looking beyond food crops to be used as biofuel feedstocks. These "cellulosic biofuels" being studied include a range of herbaceous and woody species, including native prairie grasses.
How well these other biofuels will perform against greenhouse gas accumulation depends on the feedstock, how they're grown, how the plant is converted to useful liquids, and where the industry is based. Something as simple as whether the crop needs to be planted every year or takes root can contribute to whether it's an advantage over fossil fuels.
At the DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, scientists are investigating which biofuels crops are best suited to take advantage of the conditions unique to that region -- for example, which grow best in the soils and with the amount of water the region has available. An economic concern is that they do not interfere with the production of food crops. The center, one of three $25 million per year Bioenergy Research Centers established by the DOE Office of Science in 2007, is led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison in partnership with Michigan State University.
"One of the objectives of the center is to develop ecological, agricultural, and life cycle practices that are economically viable and environmentally responsive for the production of biofuel crops," says Phil Robertson, a Michigan State University professor and leader of the center's sustainability studies.
Izaurralde presented an overview of the program, which is in its early stages, today at the American Association for the Advancement of Science. For example, he and his colleagues are using computer models to explore regional production of biofuels in Michigan and Wisconsin. The computer simulations include weather and soil information, and many other production and economic factors. The researchers expect to find ways to deploy biofuel cropping systems that are profitable and environmentally sustainable.
Reference: Talk titled The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center: Sustainability in symposium "Biofuels: Consequences for Carbon, Landscapes, and Sustainability" Friday, February 13, in conference room Hyatt Regency, Grand Ballroom A. American Association for the Advancement of Science 2009 Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois. Additional presentations include Implications of Biofuels for Greenhouse Gas Concentrations by Leon Clark of the Joint Global Change Research Institute and Unintended Global Consequences of a Biofuels Industry by John Reilly of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
This work was funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Science's Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Genomics: GTL program.
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